Bass' Last Battle
by Rebeldynasty
Summary: I wrote and uploaded this fic five years ago. I replaced chapter 14 as I lost the original content , but I have found it on a floppy. At some point, I will re-upload it, and you, the readers, can tell me which chap 14 you prefer. Or, I can combine them..
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

**Bass' Last Battle  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, Bass, Roll, Doctor Light, Doctor Wily, Megaman, or any other characters in this story. All characters are created and owned by Capcom. Please do not sue me ;)  
**

Chapter 1: Introduction

The lab was dark and foreboding, cobwebs dangling in the corner's, rats scurrying across the sunken in wooden floor. Overhead, the ebony-armoured robot could hear the distant squeaks of bats, the moonlight filtering in through a crack in the dome-shaped ceiling. Bass was filled with bitter hatred, having just lost another battle to his nemesis, Megaman. His creator, Dr. Wily, was not going to be pleased. As it was, the evil scientist was always criticizing Bass, calling him many unpleasant, derogatory names, and forever threatening to scrap him. Bass secretly despised the doctor, but his programming forced him many a time to listen to the balding man. There had been many times, though, when Bass had mouthed off to his creator, and had come close to fully rebelling against him.  
He slowly descended towards Wily's lab, clutching his wounded arm. It was his right arm, the same arm that switched into his plasma-cannon. He knocked boldly, interrupting the doctor from another one of his robot- building frenzies. "Come in." he responded irritable from inside, metal clanking and crashing to the floor.  
"Doc, I need repairs. Megaman won...again." Bass mumbled, setting himself down on the lab bench.  
"Bass, you incompetent, titanium-wasted, piece of scrap! Can't you do anything right?!" the doctor snarled, a wrench clasped in his weathered old hands.  
"I tried," Bass growled through gritted teeth, "but it's nearly impossible to beat Megaman when I haven't had any upgrades since hell knows when!"  
"I don't have time to deal with your idiocy, I have other, more important robots to build!"  
"If that's the case, then why do you need me?" the black and gold robot retorted.  
"Do NOT carry that tone with me, Bass! I am your master, you will give me the respect I deserve!"  
"You don't DESERVE any such thing! I do all your dirty work, I'M the one putting my rear-end on the line, 'I'M the one that nearly is destroyed every battle, while you fritter away and make robots that don't last one battle! If you think my job is SO easy, then why don't you do it?!" Bass snapped vehemently, his ruby eyes glowing dangerously. The purple streaks under his eyes made him twice as frightening, his armour gleaming in the dim laboratory light.  
"Speak to me like that again and I will use your parts for more efficient robots." Wily threatened, shuffling closer to the enraged robot.  
Bass didn't flinch, his posture remained calm and collected. "You have yet to create such a robot, no robot you've ever built has been better than me, and you know it!" with that, he stormed out, his arm still badly damaged. He went into his quarters to recharge, then, once that was done, stalked into the night, resting under a shady tree in the nearest park.

* * *

"Rock, do you think you could go help Roll collect some berries in the woods? We need about three baskets, and it could take her a good long time." Dr. Thomas Light, the brilliant scientist who created Megaman, also known as Rock, and his sister, Roll, asked kindly. He had white hair, a white beard, and was pleasantly plump, as one might say. Dr. Wily had once been Dr. Light's lab assistant, but had gone off his rocker, stealing all of the robots they had created together, except for Roll. All but Megaman became evil from reprogramming, the blue bomber able to resist. His brother, Protoman, went back to normal shortly after, but spent much of his time alone, only occasionally visiting his "family".  
"No problem, doctor. I love Roll's pies, they're well worth while. I'll definitely help her!" Mega replied, grabbing an extra basket.  
"Roll blushed, "Thanks Rock. You really like my pies that much?"  
Her brother nodded enthusiastically, and the two went off into the woods, searching the berry bushes for the juiciest, ripest berries they could find.  
Roll was a pretty robot, with blonde hair tied back with a green ribbon, a white shirt with black buttons, and a pretty red dress with matching red boots. Megaman was a blue robot with an arm cannon and a shiny blue helmet. Whenever he took his helmet off, he sported wavy brown hair. He always had armour on, for it was his body, but his helmet, fortunately, was removable. It was a beautiful day, not the kind of day to wear a battle helmet anyway.  
The sun was shining, the clouds were puffy and pearl white, the sky a glorious blue. Ah, nothing could ruin this day! Rock thought to himself, gazing at the many berry bushes that were in bloom. Further down, they would find the berry bushes that were further along in season, and it was also there that they ran into Bass. They had just filled two baskets of berries when they saw something black glimmering in the afternoon light. Megaman squinted, shielding his eyes with his left hand, holding the basket in his right.  
"That looks like...Hey! Mega, isn't that Bass?" Roll asked, pointing at the motionless heap under the tree.  
"Hey, you're right, it is. What's he doing all the way out here?" Mega replied, cautiously heading towards the still robot.  
"I think...h-he's unconscious." Roll stammered, crossing her fingers in hopes she was right.  
"He's wounded from our battle still...I wonder why he didn't have Wily repair him already?" Megaman pondered. He knelt beside the ebony robot, carefully lifting his head. One ruby-red eye popped open, a groan emitting from Bass. Megaman jumped back, switching to his plasma cannon quickly.  
"Put it away, Megaman. I'm no threat to you right now." Bass grunted, sitting up slowly. This seemed to cause further pain, and he slumped back down, gasping.  
"He's hurt, Mega. Maybe we should help him." Roll suggested, walking over to the black-clad robot and resting a hand on his shoulder soothingly.  
"Roll, get away from him, he's dangerous." Megaman cautioned, his cannon still pointed at the Wily bot's chest.  
"But we can't just leave him here to die. Mega, I know he's your enemy, but we just GOT to help him!" Roll pleaded, trying with all her might to lift Bass to his feet. He let out a pained groan, but managed to stand.  
"Um...thanks," He said quietly, wincing in pain, "but I don't need your help. Besides, I didn't expect your brother to help me, we're sworn enemies."  
"That's no reason to leave you stranded when you need help." Roll protested.  
"You got wax in your ears, girl? I said I don't..need...your...help." with that, Bass collapsed to the ground, fluid leaking from his shoulder, puddling all around.  
"Don't need help, huh? Don't be so bloody stubborn! Rock, we have to help him, he won't survive if we don't," Roll added quickly, "and besides, you always say you rather not fight with Bass, that you wish you guys were friends again. What better way to start then to help him?"  
Megaman sighed wearily, "Sure, make me eat my own words. Oh alright, Roll, we'll bring him to doc Light, he'll know what to do."  
"W-wait a minute, I didn't agree to this! I don't wanna be reprogrammed! You can't just do that, you know, I belong to Wily!" Bass protested, then thought bitterly, _not that I care about that greedy old bastard.  
_"Easy, we aren't going to reprogram you, Bass. Trust me." Megaman replied, seeing the wild look in the robot's eyes.  
"Why should I trust you?" Bass countered, spitting.  
"Right now, you don't have much of a choice," Roll retorted, then added gently, "I'll make sure personally that no one reprograms you. Who do you think helps Dr. Light with repairs?"  
Bass swallowed, then nodded. Never had he been so nervous in his life. No, he'd never been nervous in his entire life, period. Without another word, Megaman and Roll grabbed an arm each, and set back to Light's lab, Bass staggering the whole way.

* * *

Wily stormed around in his fortress, pacing back and forth. "Where is that nullified, pain-in-the-ass? He should've returned by now!" he, of course, was referring to Bass, who had left the lab some time ago in order to cool off. "Perhaps I shouldn't have been so harsh with him, he is my only fully-equipped battling machine. Without him, I cannot take over the world, or destroy that Light fool's Megaman!" Not that the old doctor would ever admit it to Bass, but Bass had been right; Wily truly was nothing without him, he really did need the black bot.  
"Boss, do you want us to go and look for him?" Gyroman stepped forward, the other robots nodding in agreement.  
"Yeah," added Snakeman, "Bass and I have always gotten along, maybe I can talk some sssense into him. He could be hurt, for all we know."  
"Damn it!" Wily suddenly cursed, a thought hitting him like a ton of cemented bricks.  
"What's wrong boss? What's the matter?" Hardman asked, eyeing the doctor in concern.  
"Bass was hurt, last night. He had, yet again, failed to destroy Megaman, and asked for repairs, then-then we had a fight, and he went back out, and...damn, damn damn! I completely forgot to repair him!" Wily cursed again, feeling slightly guilty for being so careless with his best robot.  
"Don't worry, doc. We'll find him and bring him home. Then you can repair. Him." Topman reassured, motioning the other robots to get going.  
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Well, what are you just standing there for?! Get going!"  
Soon all of Dr. Wily's robots were out in the city, destroying everything in their path in their search for Bass.


	2. Chapter 2: Sparks Fly

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. All characters are owned by Capcom.**

Chapter 2: Sparks Fly

Megaman rushed through the corridor, the red lights flashing as the alarm went off, blaring throughout the entire lab. "Dr. Light, we have trouble!" he said upon entering the control room.  
"Yes, Wily's robots are attacking our fortress, they seem to be in search of something." Both the doctor and Megaman turned to Bass, who stared at them blankly. The doctor had just finished repairs on him when the alarm had sounded, Roll hurrying to lock down the entire fortress.  
"What?" Bass asked innocently. The two continued to stare at him, giving each other meaningful glances. "Alright, alright! He's out looking for me! I stormed off on him, and now he's turning the whole city upside down in order to flush me out."  
"I don't get it, Bass," Megaman shook his head, "why didn't Wily repair you from our battle?"  
"We had a fight, a big fight. He threatened me, and refused to repair me because I'm 'incompetent' so I left. No doubt he's suddenly worried about me," Bass said bitterly, "one minute, I'm a waste of titanium and should be scrapped, the next, he needs my help. That old doddering fool."  
"There's no time for that. Megaman, do you think you can fight Wily's robots off?" Dr. Light asked, pointing at the screen. The many Wily bots were causing major chaos, smashing things, setting them on fie, attacking civilians.  
"Yes, once I fuse with Rush. Bass, where's Treble? Can you fuse with him? I really need your help." Megaman said, the look in his eyes hopeful.  
"Whoa, I'm grateful for the repairs and everything, but I'm still your adversary. I don't do nice. I still work for doc Wily."  
"But you just said..."  
"I know what I just said," Bass interjected, "but regardless of that, I still work for him. One day he will learn to appreciate all I've done, one day."  
"You have to do something! They're destroying the city, Bass! All this in search of you. Let them know your okay, go back home if you have to, I don't care. Just take the fight away from here!" Megaman replied, his patience wearing thin with the Wily bot.  
"As you wish, Megaman. We will fight another day. Until then, I'll get the other robots to stop their attack." Bass complied, whistling for his robotic wolf-dog, and fusing with him. With that, he took off out of the lab, rounding up the robot masters as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Why did he leave?" Roll asked as Megaman and Dr. Light lounged in the office, the weary doctor sipping on his mocha latte, his hand trembling slightly.  
"He had no other choice, Wily had laid siege to the entire city, we couldn't allow it to go up in smoke all for Bass' sake. Besides," Megaman added upon seeing the disappointment on Roll's face, "I'm sure he'll be back." _Though I guarantee it won't be a happy reunion._ He thought grimly, staring out the window. Fortunately, the city was only in minor need of repairs, and no one was seriously injured.  
"Well, so long as he was okay, I guess it doesn't matter." Roll replied solemnly, looking at the grey thunder clouds that loomed over the many buildings in the distance.  
"What's wrong, sis?" Mega finally asked, noticing the saddened expression on the female Light bots' face.  
"It's- nothing..." she replied, her voice trailing off thoughtfully_. It's everything! I'm in love with the most dangerous Wily bot ever created, and I barely know him! What's worse is, he's so rude and...obnoxious!_  
Megaman stared at his sister worriedly, but decided to shake it off. If something was wrong, Roll would tell him if and when she was ready to, and not before. With that, he leaned back in his chair, trying to relax before he set out to help repair the lightly damaged city.

* * *

Bass stood in Dr. Wily's main chambers, feeling oddly uncomfortable as the doctor continued his rambling and shouting. He was most displeased with the dark robot for taking off, and even more displeased that he had allowed himself to be repaired by his arch nemesis. "What were you thinking, going to Thomas like that?!" he chastised, throwing his hands up in exasperation.  
"Well, I had to be repaired by someone, you know! I was losing too much fluid to go on much longer. And you were no help," Bass snapped, "had you given my repairs when I requested them, you wouldn't have had to search for me in the first place!"  
The evil mastermind turned abruptly, his face deepening to an angry purple. "You had no right to leave this fortress! That's it! I'm resetting your programming. You will not go outside this base for a ten-yard radius! You are stuck here until I have further use of you!"  
"What!? Are you out of your bloody mind?! If you really think I'm going to comply to this, you've got another thing, coming doc. I come and go as I please, end of story." Bass growled stubbornly.  
"You will listen to me. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the trash compactor." Wily whispered menacingly.  
"You've been saying that since the day I was made. I'll believe it when I see it," he then added curiously, "just how do you plan on reprogramming me? Do you really THINK I'm just gonna stand there and let you do it? Get real, doc!" he snorted, crossing his arms in defiance.  
"Don't test me, Bass. I have my ways, and I suggest you shut your large trap, or you might find out sooner than you care to." Wily replied quietly, narrowing his eyes at the rebellious robot.  
Bass only scoffed, and headed back to his quarters, settling down in his "bed" in an attempt to recharge_. Wily's out of his league, he can't do anything to me. Besides, if he did, he wouldn't have me to help him conquer the world. He may not admit it, but he's nothing without his machines, nothing without me!_ He continued to fume until he finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

When Bass awoke, it was nearly dawn. He decided to rise before the others, and headed into the control room. He looked at the screen, which displayed the main parts of the city, divided into four sections. All was still peaceful, not a plasma cannon in sight, no wreckage, no people running in the streets, screaming. _It's so boring, _Bass thought to himself, _Wily's attack didn't even stir these people up._ He shook his head, and headed out the door. Treble sauntered up to him from the woods, just getting back from one of his late night capers.  
"Hey boy, you catch anything?" he greeted the wolf-dog, scratching behind his ears. Treble only whined appreciatively, and settled down on the ground. "Well, you can lie around here if you want, but I'm going out into the woods." Bass chuckled, turning on his heel. The robotic dog whined, staring at his master anxiously. "Then come with me." Bass replied irritably. Treble whined again, letting out a dog-like groan. "Okay, fine. Once you've recharged some, come look for me, you know where I'll be." Bass sighed, shaking his head. Sometimes, Treble was just like a new-born pup. So damn helpless. With that, Bass patted the dog one more time, and set off into the woods.

* * *

Roll was disappointed that Bass had departed so quickly. The ebony robot was so mysterious, and charming, and- _Get a hold of yourself, Roll! He's a rude, obnoxious, crass...evil...handsome... No! I will NOT fall for him, no no, no!_ she scolded herself, getting up from her bed. "What I need, 'she said aloud, "is a little walk in the woods, it'll do me some good, get some oxygen into my brain. Wait, do I really call it a brain? Hm..." with that, Roll headed out of the lab, careful not to wake up her father or brother. Rush was lying in the hall, his eye lids half open. "Sh, don't let them know I'm going out, okay?" she told the red robotic dog, tiptoeing down the spiralling stairs. It was still pretty dark out, barely 5 a.m. The trees outside were casting dark shadows on the walls, making Roll edgy. _Get a grip, they're just shadows! _She told herself, gripping the oak banister tightly. She proceeded down the stairs, passing the main living room, where an over-stuffed couch and small, black set were visible from her standpoint. With a deep breath, she grabbed hold of the brass doorknob and quietly turned it. _So far, so good_. As she opened the door, it emitted a loud squeak, causing Roll to jump and suck in her breath. She listened for any stirring she might hear upstairs, but no one came. With a sigh of relief, she snuck out the door and headed into the green brush.

* * *

Bass had been snoozing peacefully when he heard the snapping of twigs directly behind him. He was resting on a flat boulder in the forest, completely relaxed. "Treble, is that you?" he called out, lifting himself up on his elbows.  
A giggle emitted from the bush, Roll coming forth. "No, not Treble, just me." She replied.  
Bass stared at the Light bot inquisitively, realizing just how pretty she was for the first time. "What are you doing all the way out here?"  
"I could ask you the same thing," she countered, "I came out here to think, I couldn't sleep."  
"Me neither, Wily is really getting on my nerves lately. Um, I never got to properly thank you for the repairs, you did do most of the work, and you kept your promise." Bass flushed, turning his gaze to the rising sun in the east.  
"Promise? Oh, it was nothing, really. It isn't our place to reprogram you if you don't want it. I had to respect your wishes." Roll replied, fidgeting where she stood, wringing her hands together.  
Bass' gaze met hers, and for a moment, the two just stared into one another's eyes, completely entranced. Then Bass shook his head, and stammered, "Uh, you can sit down, if you want. I-I mean, you don't have to, but if y-you want to, you can...not that I'm in any position what-so-ever to tell you whether you can sit or not, but, w-well, you know.."  
Despite her mixed feelings, Roll laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, I'll sit with you." She replied, still giggling.  
"Great, now you're laughing at me." Bass muttered, blushing furiously.  
"No, I'm not laughing at you, really. It was sweet of you to offer me a seat. You know," she added, batting her eye lashes, "you're kinda cute...for a Wily bot."  
Bass chuckled, "I suppose I should take that as a compliment, missy?"  
"Don't call me that," Roll laughed, "and yes, it's a compliment." She sat down, leaning back on her elbows as she stared up at the sky.  
"So, you come out here much to think?" Bass inquired, settling back on his elbows as well, gazing at Roll tentatively.  
"Not really, once or twice, maybe even three times. Why, do you come here a lot?" Roll turned onto her side so she was looking directly into Bass' fiery eyes.  
"Yup, usually after a major battle with Wily...or your brother. I come out here to think a lot."  
"If it isn't too personal, what about?" Roll inquired, searching his eyes for a trace of an answer.  
"Well, a lot of things. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really happy with myself. I-I don't know if my destiny has any real meaning, and, I often wonder, if I fulfill all my duties according to plan, what will be left? What will be left of me?"  
"I'm not sure I fully understand. What is your destiny, Bass?" Roll asked, fully interested in what he had to say. It wasn't everyday someone got Bass to open up to them, after all. And the fact that he put his trust fully into her, meant a lot more than even he knew.  
"My mission, and only destiny, sadly enough, is to destroy your brother. It's what the doc programmed me for. But, should I fulfill my mission, Wily will have no further use for me, then what?"  
"You think he'll scrap you, is that it?" Roll concluded. Bass nodded, and lay all the way back, staring at the lightened sky. "Bass, do you ever wonder why you haven't beaten my brother yet?"  
"Because, as much as I hate to admit it, he's more powerful than me. Dr. Wily hasn't given me a decent upgrade for quite some time now."  
"I don't think that's it, not fully. What if," Roll suggested, "it was because you subconsciously don't want to beat Rock. As you said, if you beat him, your mission is fulfilled, you'd most likely be scrapped."  
"Do you really think that's why I haven't defeated him yet?" Bass raised an eyebrow, shifting into a sitting position.  
"Well, I think it's part of the reason. Maybe you also want to be friends with him, just like Mega wants to be friends with you, but I'm not saying that's it," she added quickly as the black bot's eyes narrowed, "it could be a lot of things, you'll have to figure it out for yourself. I'd help, but I don't know what's going on in that noggin of yours." She playfully rapped on his helmet, letting out a nervous chuckle.  
Bass relaxed, letting his famous canine-toothed grin split across his face. Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes got their attention, Roll gasping. "What was that?" she whispered, both their eyes falling to the right, where a steady growl was coming from. A purple wolf-dog leapt out of the bushes, letting out a soft whine.  
"Treble! You scared us half to death! Where have you been,? I expected you an hour ago." Bass scolded, Treble putting his ears back.  
"Aw, he's sorta cute." Roll commented, petting the dog carefully. Bass stared at her in amazement, his eyes darting between her an his loyal companion.  
"Hey, what d'ya know? He must like you. If anyone else tried that without consulting me first, they'd have one less hand then they started out with."  
"Is it good that he likes me?" Roll asked, her voice carrying a flirtatious edge.  
"Maybe." Bass replied coyly, leaning in closer to the blue-eyed robot. His eyes closed, Roll leaning in as well. Their lips brushed, tingling. Bass plunged forward, their lips fully contacted, the kiss passionate and warm. Treble buried his nose in his paws, not at all intrigued by the lovey- dovey attitude he'd never seen in his master before. Their lips parted, both their eye lids half closed, smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths.  
Suddenly, Roll looked panicked, and jumped off the boulder. "Oh, damn! I have to get back, they'll be looking for me by now!"  
Bass leapt up too, and looked at her, feeling dejected, "When will I see you again?" he called, Roll beginning to run towards home.  
She turned back, looking into his ruby eyes, feeling sorry for him. _He probably thinks I'm leaving because of the kiss, I have to say something._ "I don't know, but I hope soon. I really do," she called back, "you're okay, Bass. You really are. I like you." She smiled at him, winked, then took off like a bat out of hell, not sure of what to tell her brother or father what she had been doing out in the woods.


	3. Chapter 3:City Under Siege

**Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Capcom.**

Chapter 3: City Under Siege

Weeks had passed since Roll had been in the woods with Bass, for which she had been fortunately not caught by her brother, or the doctor. Both had slept in that day, completely unaware of anything unusual going on. It was a rainy day, filled with gloom and storm clouds.  
"My dear, can you make a pot of coffee for me? I'm busy with my experiment." Dr. Light asked Roll as she gazed out the window miserably. She nodded, and set to work, only able to think of Bass. She wasn't paying attention to how many scoops she put in the filter, and ended up with coffee grounds all over the counter. "Darn it!' she swore, cleaning up the mess. Megaman walked in, eyeing her skeptically.  
"Are..you okay, sis? You've been acting strange lately." He asked cautiously, Roll looking up at him in bewilderment.  
"Nothing's wrong, why would anything be wrong?" she said hurriedly, starting the coffee maker.  
"Are you sure? I'm really concerned, you've been a bit spaced out lately."  
"It's nothing, really." She smiled sweetly, her eyes wide and innocent, "would you like something to eat? Maybe a drink, Rock?"  
"No, I'm fine, thanks, sis..." Megaman left, shaking his head in wonder. _Something's up, but what? It isn't my right to pry if something's bothering her, but I just have to know what's going on. Question is, how will I find out without being so obvious?_ He pondered over this, returning to the living room with a plan in mind.

* * *

The steady dripping of water was driving Bass crazy, the hall dark and dank, the smell of mould pungent and sickening. Bass had been caught, much to his displeasure, after seeing Roll in the woods. Wily had seen him come in, and had questioned him ferverently, deciding to lock the delinquent robot in one of the corridors for a week. Of course, it hadn't been effective immediately; Bass had to go retrieve some core flux's from a parts plant in the U.S.A. then haul it all the way back to their headquarters in Canada. It had taken a week and a half, and after all that work, Bass was forced to stand in the abandoned tunnel under Dr. Wily's lab.  
"Does he really think these chains will keep me here? Pfft, the only reason I'm still here is because I need to recharge, once I'm done, I'm getting Treble, and we're getting the hell outta here." _Then we'll see who needs who. That old fool, he won't last a day without my services, but that's too bad for him, I'm through with him, I can make it on my own!_  
Within minutes, Bass was at full power, and performed a simple magnetic trick; he levitated in the air, his hands flexing rapidly, his whole body shuddering. With a resounding pop, the chains dissolved, the ebony robot now free. _First thing I have to do is warn Roll. The doctor has a big attack in mind, I don't want her to get hurt. I may hate her brother, but I won't have him die yet, not now. _With that, he sent a signal to Treble, and the two met outside the fortress, fusing quickly. Without another word or bark, they jettisoned to Dr. Light's lab, hoping beyond hope they'd warn them in time.  
"Treble, full power to the thrusters, we're nearly fifty yards from the lab. Make it quick!" Bass ordered. With a click and a few bleeps, the thrusters released more power, Bass commending his loyal dog through their robotic link. Soon they landed, unfusing quickly. They stood on the outskirts of Dr. Light's lab, a ten-foot chain-link fence surrounding the whole compound. The alarms went off, alerting all that an intruder was inside the premises. The cameras turned on Bass, charging up their lasers threateningly. _Geez, what should happen if a friend decides to visit these people? They get shot clean-off the property?_

He laughed to himself, dodging the laser blasts with ease. He slipped past the three guard bots at the outer wall entrance, the robots too confused to see him. He soon climbed over the inner wall, which only was about nine-feet, made of solid concrete. _Then again, any novice could get passed their defences._ He corrected himself, scurrying towards the lab door. As soon as he pulled the handle, his sensors were assaulted with the loud blaring sirens. **Woot! Woot!** Bass gritted his teeth, hurrying to the top floor where the control room was.

He burst through the door, Megaman blocking him with his Mega buster.  
"Whoa, it's okay, for once, I'm not here to fight you!" Bass exclaimed, his hands raised.  
"What is it?" Roll asked, eyeing Bass wearily. What was he doing here? Surely he wouldn't let anyone else know they had kissed..?  
"Wily is planning to attack your base, full force! He's got the best of the best coming this way in about fifteen minutes! All the robot masters!"  
"Wait...then _why_ are you warning us?" Megaman asked suspiciously.  
"Because if I don't, you all go up in smoke!" Bass retorted, suddenly angry.

"Since when do you care about anyone but yourself?" Megaman replied, his voice rising.  
"Now is not the time to be skeptical. Bass warned us, I think we owe him a word of thanks." Dr. Light intervened, his eyes creasing with worry.  
Megaman sighed in defeat, "You're right. Uh, thanks, Bass. Sorry I was being a jerk." He mumbled. _Why should I be? I trusted him once, he stabbed me in the back, and he's always picking fights with me! _He was interrupted from his mental griping when the building shook from blaster shots.  
"Hurry, Megaman! Otherwise, Wily will set the whole city on fire!" Dr. Light cried urgently. Without another word, Megaman fused with Rush, Bass doing the same with Treble.  
"I'm coming too." Bass said quietly, and the two teleported out, a shiny black and purple beam followed by a red one.

* * *

The streets were in absolute chaos, buildings set ablaze with orange flame, roads cracking and overhead wires frayed and scorched. Black smoke curled through the air, blocking out the afternoon sun. Bass and Megaman arrived on the scene to the sight of fleeing humans. On one end of town, Hardman and many of the others were flipping over cars and throwing them through shops. Fortunately, people were only minorly injured, many escaping the wrath of the furious robots.  
"What do we do now? We can't defeat all of them!" Bass said incredulously. He unfused from Treble, letting the wolf-dog stretch his legs.  
"Stay fused, for one! We need all the fire-power we can get! Don't worry, I have a plan." Megaman replied, the two robots ducking behind a flipped-over bus.  
Bass re-fused with Treble, doubting the blue bomber had any kind of plan, what-so-ever. _Who's he kidding? No one could come up with a plan for a situation like this!_ This thought was interrupted as Megaman charged up his Mega buster, a blue light surrounding him. _Okay, okay, that ought to do it. So he's not so helpless after all._ Bass corrected himself, charging up his plasma cannon. He fired up his thrusters, rising above a large corporate building. _If I'm gonna fight, he thought stubbornly, I'm gonna fight my way._ Before the Wily bot's could even respond, his shot rang clear through the air, a purple beam striking the infamous Magnetman.  
"Hey! Bass, what are you doing here? Doc Wily had you locked up!" the magnetic robot protested stupidly.  
"Well, he doesn't anymore now, does he?" Bass retorted, firing another blast at the bewildered machine.  
"You're supposed to be on our side, what are you doing, helping that Mega twerp?" Magnetman retorted back, his eyes narrowing dangerously.  
"I don't work for nobody now, you here! And I am NOT on his side, but hear this; I will not stand for anyone of you hurting his sister, Roll, got it? Anyone of you jerks lay a hand on her, you'll have one less arm then you had when you came into battle!" Bass replied, his voice bold and furious all at once.  
"Y-You traitor! You've betrayed the doctor! You will pay for this atrocity, Bass! Fight like a real robot, you little punk!"  
"I've betrayed no one, but as you wish. You want a fight? You got one!" Bass hollered, charging up a plasma shot once again. Once at full power, he charged towards Magnetman, setting the blast cutting through the air, nailing the bulky robot in the chest. Magnetman growled, then charged, throwing a power known as magnet eruption crashing into the black- armoured robot. Bass staggered in mid-air, grazing the side of a building. Granite shrapnel flung all around him as Magnetman continued his barrage of attacks, Bass narrowly escaping each shot made at him.  
"You wanna play that game, eh? I'll show you who's boss!" Bass snarled, sending shot after shot at the red Wily bot without mercy. Soon Magnetman was panting, exhausted from all the shots he'd dodged, and even more so from the ones he hadn't.  
"You may have won this round, but you'll be sorry. Doc Wily will get you for this, if I don't get you first."  
"Don't count on it, the doctor has no power over me, and his revenge is of little hope." Bass countered, charging up a warning shot. "I suggest you leave, and take the others with you. I don't want to fight with my old co- criminals, but I will not work with them again either. It's them or me."  
Down below, Megaman had just throttled three of the robots. Gemini man, Topman, and Heatman. They lay in a heap, completely disabled. Most of the other robots were fleeing, some with battle scars, others who had been too cowardly, without a single blaster shot.

"Uh, Bass? I could really use your help right now!" Mega called up desperately, suddenly cornered by those of Wily's robots who refused to give up.  
"It's over, blue boy." Hardman growled, loading up a punch.  
"Yeah, pretty boy. Soon you'll be nothing but splatter on the sidewalk!" Cutman chuckled cruelly, the scissor blades atop his head snapping menacingly.  
Many of the others stood around, charging up their powers.

Woodman setting up his razor leaves, Shadowman with his ninja stars. Centaurman loaded up his cannon, rearing on his hind legs, Elecman setting up his electrifying force field. Many more joined around, Megaman filled with uneasiness.  
"Time to die, Megaman!"  
"Not if I can help it!" Bass shouted. He dove downwards, colliding with the bunch of them. A domino effect began, all but a few keeping their balance. Bass charged up a shot, Mega following suit with his own blaster.

"On the count to three," Bass instructed, "One...two...three! Now!" with a loud pinging, both plasma shots hit the centre of the throng, disabling many of the robots.  
"One more hit ought to finish them off," Megaman suggested, "unless you want them to report back to Wily?" he raised an inquisitive eyebrow, waiting for Bass' answer.  
"Yes," Bass replied quietly, "I've worked with many of them, some of them I deem as friends. I don't want to destroy them. Let them go, let them report to Wily that he has failed, and that he has lost a most valuable asset."  
"But you said you weren't on my side..?" Megaman inquired, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.  
"I'm not on your side, I work for no one, I do as I please, I fight with whomever I wish. As long as my power is being put to good use, I am content. So long as you don't get in my way, I'll have no reason to quarrel with you any longer." Bass explained.  
"But, why? You hate me, you were programmed to, and you hate me more than even THAT allows. So why, Bass? Why won't you destroy me the first chance you get?" Megaman asked, his eyes narrowing skeptically.

"I have my reasons. The only one I'll say is this; I'm doing this for your sister. As far as I've seen, she's the only Light bot worth talking to. And she's the only one standing between you and me." With that, Bass took off, leaving Megaman to wonder just what he meant by that last remark.

* * *

A few days had passed, and Roll was growing bored. It was a windy day, but the sun was still shining, the grass a brilliant green. _Maybe I should go pick some strawberries for my pie,_ she thought to herself, _and, in the meantime, visit Bass. I'm sure he'll be out in the woods._ With that, she grabbed her wicker basket, and headed out the door, smelling the fresh air, the scent of apple blossoms in the air.

Soon she reached the shady spot, where sure enough, Bass sat, his faithful dog by his side. The sun gleamed off his black armour, causing Roll to shield her optic receptors. His eyes were closed, Treble snoring beside him. Roll leaned in closely, inches away from his lips. She thought of kissing him, but decided against it. She waited, hoping he'd wake up, but he wasn't about to. _A little prodding should do the trick!_ She thought mischievously, a grin spreading across her face. She began tickling his sides, emitting a snort from him. Roll giggled, and kept it up, the black-clad robot laughing hard and finally awaking.  
"Okay, Okahay! I'm awake! You're so mean," he chuckled weakly, "I was having such a nice dream!"  
"Sorry," Roll giggled, not sounding sorry at all, "I was leaning over you for awhile, but you wouldn't wake up, so I had to take 'drastic' measures."  
"So, what are you doing in this neck of the woods? Picking more berries?" he asked, pointing to the basket sitting in the crook of her arm.  
"Well, yeah. But I also wanted to see you." Roll replied, leaning over and kissing him.

He blushed furiously, then responded, kissing back. Unbeknownst to the two robots, they were being watched.

_So THAT'S why she's been acting so weird, but why? Why didn't she tell me she liked him? Why didn't she tell me she's been seeing him?_ Megaman stood there, aghast, his jaw slack as he watched his sister and his nemesis lock lips. It was absurd, Roll falling for his rival, kissing him, sneaking out to see him, pretending nothing was happening. Even stranger was, Bass seemed to like her back; SEEMED. _Doesn't she realize how dangerous this could be? What if he's just using her? What if he tries something?!_ The blue bomber grew angry. In his opinion, Bass was probably just trying to get to Megaman by going out with his sister...but no, that couldn't be right. If that were the case, wouldn't Bass have gloated and let the secret slip? Was it really possible he truly liked Roll for who she was? _For as long as I've known Bass, he's only cared about one person; Bass. So what is going on? Maybe there really is more to him than meets the eye,_ Megaman told himself, _but then again, maybe I should keep an eye on him._ Megaman silently crept away, Roll and Bass sitting on a boulder, their fingers laced together, staring at the sky.


	4. Chapter 4: The Plot Thickens

**Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to, I do not own any of the characters. All characters belong to Capcom.**

Chapter 4: the Plot Thickens

Two days passed, Roll sitting in the kitchen humming a tune, reading a magazine. It was a breezy day outside, a few clouds gathering in the sky, the sun a pale yellow. Birds were chirping, bees busily collecting nectar into their hives. Megaman entered the kitchen, glancing at his sister nervously, fidgeting with a note he held in his hands.  
"Um, Roll?" he managed to choke out, clearing his throat, "Can...I talk to you?" he inquired.

Roll turned to him, her eyes wide and innocent. "Sure, Rock. What's on your mind?" Megaman sat down at the kitchen table, placing the note in front of her meekly.

"Um, well...here. Read the note...then we can discuss it..."  
Roll looked at her brother curiously, slightly bewildered as a thought struck her. _Is it possible he knows about Bass and I? _She sat down, opening the neatly folded note carefully. The note read as follows:

_**Dearest sister,  
I fear I know about your escapades with my arch rival, Bass. I am deeply troubled by this. I do not trust Bass with you, I fear he has some scheme in mind, I feel you are in grave danger. Please, do not assume I am saying this out of anger or rivalry with him. It is a known fact that Bass is incapable of love, he only knows hate and deceit; it is, unfortunately, what he was programmed to be.  
So this is what I ask of you; do not go near Bass, stay as far way from him as possible. He is dangerous Roll, I don't want to see you get hurt in the end, I would never forgive myself if I just let it slide. All I ask is that you heed my warning. **_

_**Love, your brother, **_

_**Rock**_

Roll placed the note shakily back on the table, willing her voice to work. "How did you find out about...us?" she questioned, a note of irritation in her voice.  
Megaman flushed, looking away from her in shame. "I-I followed you one day into the woods...I'm sorry Roll, I just was concerned about you, you were acting so strange." He stuttered, his voice trailing off as he saw the anger and hurt in her eyes.  
"Rock, I don't need you hovering over me every step I take. I'm not some little girl, I am fully capable of taking care of myself. Please, just leave me alone! Bass and I," she continued, her voice shaking, "we're in love, enough said. He is not what you think he is, Mega. He is so much more! Whether his programming wills it or not, he DOES love me!" with this, she turned away, tears welling in her eyes. She ran out of the room, crying, crumpling the note up and tossing it to the ground as she went.

"Roll, I'm sorry!" Mega called to her, his hand outstretched, "I didn't mean to...Roll..." his voice quavered, his shoulders slumping.  
_Great,_ he thought to himself, his head in his hands, _I've really messed up this time, right royally. She must think I'm a lousy brother. I shoulda just left her alone! _With that thought in mind, he let out a pained sigh, and headed towards Roll's room, knocking on it gently.  
"What is it?" came the muffled voice.  
"Roll," Megaman said meekly, "please, let me in. I have to talk to you."  
"Just leave me alone." Came the reply, a slight sob emitting from her.

Megaman slowly opened the door, looking in at his sister. Her head was buried in her lacy blue pillow, tears staining it. She sat up and glared at him, hot tears streaming down her face. "Haven't you invaded my privacy enough?" she snapped, still weeping.

Megaman came in slowly, and sat on the edge of her bed.  
"I'm really sorry, Roll. I shouldn't have followed you. It was none of my business, if you didn't want to tell me, I shouldn't have persisted. Can you please forgive me?" he apologized, staring at her hopefully.  
Roll sighed, unable to stay too angry with her brother. He was just trying to protect her, after all; he meant no harm, he just loved his sister too much to let her get hurt.  
"Alright, I forgive you, Rock. I guess I'm sorry too. I should have been honest with you from the start, that way this whole thing could've been avoided." She grabbed her brother by the shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged back, tears brimming in his eyes.  
"I'm sorry." He whispered, giving her a kiss on the cheek.  
"It's okay, I shouldn't have been so mad at you. I understand why you want to protect me, and I do appreciate it, Mega," Roll replied, then added, "but can you promise me one thing, brother?"  
"Anything."  
"Can you let me make my own decisions, and let me learn from my mistakes? I can't learn from yours, I have to learn from my own. I really do love Bass, and I believe with all my heart he feels the same way. That's why he's agreed to leave you be. Do you think you can let me do that?"  
"Sure, Roll. But just be careful, okay?" Rock backed away from the hug, staring her in the eye.  
"Okay, Mega, don't worry. I'll be careful."

* * *

Bass was dozing peacefully in a tree when he heard a warning bark from Treble. He cracked one eye open, and looked around. The lush forest seemed to be peaceful, the sun filtering through the branches, birds calling to their mates, squirrels scuttling up trees with acorns in their mouths. Bass knew better though; when Treble barked like that, it wasn't at some mere little squirrel. Trouble was afoot, and it was time for Bass to use his plasma cannon.  
He leapt down stealthily from the branch, his cannon pointed in the direction that Treble was growling in. _It can't be Roll,_ he concluded, _Treble wouldn't bark at her, so it must be_- his ponderings were cut off by a ninja star twirling his way. He dodged it just in time, and faced the opponent who had shot it at him. "Shadowman, what is it you want?" he growled, holding his cannon steady.  
"Wily is most displeased with your betrayal." The ninja-type robot replied, an edge in his voice that Bass well recognized.  
"I have not betrayed Wily. It is he who has betrayed me!" Bass retorted, Treble snarling viciously.  
"Is that so? Then why do you work with Megaman?"  
"I don't work with anyone," Bass replied calmly, "I do what I want, when I want. Megaman is still my rival, but I won't fight him unless he gives me reason to."  
"Oh? And why is that, Bass? Why is that you defy your natural programming, your instinct, to destroy that meddling titanium scrap heap? He never had to give you reason before."  
"That is none of your business. Now get out of here before Treble gains himself a new chew toy." Bass spat, charging his cannon up to level eight.  
"I think the real reason you won't destroy him," Shadowman continued, a cruel smile upon his face, "is because of that Lightbot, Roll. You like her, and because she is Megaman's 'sister', you won't harm him. Because if you do," here he laughed evilly, "she will have nothing to do with you."  
"Get out of here! Get out of her right now!" Bass shouted, firing at the ninja robot.  
"As you wish," Shadowman replied, still grinning wryly, "but you might want to keep an eye on that pretty girl friend of yours. You never know what lies in the dark of night."  
With that, he disappeared, leaving Treble to launch at empty air. He let out a deep snarl, and turned back to his master, nudging his hand with his nose comfortingly.  
"It's okay, Treb. Thanks." But really, it wasn't okay; Shadowman had just made a threat on Roll's life, and Bass was not going to stand for it. _I've got to protect her, but how? Megaman cannot know about us, it would be disastrous. But still, I have no choice..._ he whistled to Treble, and the two fused, flying full speed towards the Light lab, the sky darkening to a deep blue as night took over.


	5. Chapter 5: The Cat's Out the Bag

**Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman or any of the characters in this chapter. Megaman and characters belong to Capcom.**

Chapter 5: The Cat's Out of the Bag

Bass landed in front of the Light laboratory, unfusing with Treble hastily. He patted the worried robo-wolf on the head gently, saying in a soothing voice, "It's okay, Treb. I'll take care of this, you keep watch if it makes you feel any better."  
The loyal dog let out a soft woof, complying with his masters' suggestion. Bass strode to the large metal door, ringing the intercom.

"Yes? Is that you Bass?" came the reply, laced with surprise and confusion.  
"Yes, doc. I have to talk to you, all of you." Bass said wearily, concern creasing his face. He looked at the screen where the good doctor's face was also taking on his own expression.  
"Alright, come on in." Light replied, pressing the code to open the door. Bass pulled on the latch, and carefully stepped inside, letting his optic receptors adjust to the dim light. He strode up the stairs, and entered the large lab, where Megaman, Roll, and doc Light stood, Rush dozing in the corner.  
"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." Bass turned around swiftly to where he had just come in, and much to his surprise, saw Blues, also known as Protoman, standing in the doorway.  
"Long time, no see." Bass replied coolly, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"What are you doing here? Wily send you on a mission again?" Protoman smiled wryly, his shades gleaming from the large computer screen in the wall. His red armour was perfectly clean, his yellow scarf draped over his shoulder, a large grey and red shield slung over his right shoulder.  
"I don't work for the crazy ol' fool anymore," Bass retorted, chuckling, "still carrying that sled around, I see."  
"I believe you had something to discuss with us?" Dr. Light interrupted, preventing the upcoming fight between the Light and Wily bots.  
"Yes. It's about Wily...or, to be more precise, his robots. He's attempting to get revenge against me for my 'betrayal'. That old fool, he sent Shadowman out to talk to me, and I think they might use my one weakness against me..."  
"What weakness do you speak of?" Light asked curiously, approaching the solemn robot carefully, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
"I think it's time I told you the truth," Bass began, wringing his hands sheepishly, "Roll, help me out here, please." His eyes searched hers, her expression flustered.

She stepped towards him, looping her arm through his, a look of calm crossing her face. "Of course, Bass," she stated calmly, "Bass and I, well...we've been seeing each other, father."  
Dr. Light gasped, Protoman's jaw dropped, as he gaped in shock, his visor sliding up.

"Y-you're what?! You're going out with t-that, that...asshole?!" Proto shouted, thrusting his hands in the direction of Bass.

"Hey, tone down with the insults, thank-you-very-much!" Bass replied, his eyes narrowing.

"Shut up, you! Roll, what are you thinking?! He's dangerous, he could blast a plasma shot right through that little torso of yours!"

"Proto, he loves me, okay? We really do care for each other, and Bass will never hurt me! What is wrong with everyone? There is more to him than meets the eye!" Roll snapped, hugging Bass protectively, glaring at her older brother angrily.

"But..." Proto began, Megaman interjecting.

"Blues, let it go. Roll has to make her own decisions. Even if they seem to be mistakes, they are her mistakes to make."

"You knew about this?!" Protoman replied, staring at his brother in disbelief.

"As of recently, yes. And I crossed the line with Roll. I realize it's difficult brother, she is our little sister. But maybe it's time we let her grow up."  
Blues sighed wearily, then looked at Roll. She was still grasping Bass' arm, the ebony bot looking dazed. Roll's eyes met with his, searching.

"You're right." He finally resigned, Roll's face splitting into a warm grin.

"Thank you, brother." She whispered, letting go of Bass briefly to go hug her older sibling, then re-looping her arm through his.

"Now," Dr. Light said, the shock wearing off his face, "now that that is settled, I suppose there is a reason you had to tell us about this? It links to what you were going to tell us about Dr. Wily's robots, Bass?" he inquired, resting his hand back on the robot's sleek, black shoulder.

"Right," Bass replied meekly, finding his voice, "I fear that Shadowman and the other robots are out to destroy you all. I fear Wily, first off, wants to harm Roll in order to get back at me. It seems Shadowman is the one he's hired for the job. As for the rest of you, it seems he plans a large-scale attack on your lab with all the robot masters."  
They all chewed on this disturbing news, fidgeting where they stood.

After a moment, Dr. Light said in a low voice, "There is only one thing we can do. We have to counter his attack. I'm going to have to upgrade Rush and Rock's fusion power. If you wish, I will also upgrade both you and Treble."  
Bass nodded, thinking solemnly, _I hope those upgrades will be enough. We'll be fighting_ _the entire robot master's army by ourselves_. He sent a distress beacon to Treble, who immediately teleported to his master.

"Come on, Treb. We're getting upgrades done." Light, Bass, and Megaman exited the lab, their faithful dog companions right behind them. Roll and Protoman stood there, worried expressions upon their faces as they awaited their return.

* * *

A few hours passed, Blues and Roll sitting in the main control room, worried expressions upon their faces. It was quarter passed midnight, and the two feared that Megaman and Bass' upgrades would not be completed on time. Just as Roll got up o go check on the progress, the two robots strolled in, looking tired, yet a lot stronger. Rush and Treble bolted in, play-fighting with each other, then tumbling into a corner. They lay there, panting, then rested their heads on their massive paws, instantly falling asleep to recharge.  
"How did it go?" Roll asked, rushing up to her brother and Bass eagerly.  
"It went awesome, I've never felt so much power being pumped into me!" Bass exclaimed, grabbing her in a tight embrace.  
Megaman nodded in agreement, "It was quite the adrenaline rush! It completely wore the dogs out." He leaned against the wall, his eyes drooping. Roll giggled, Protoman grinning to himself.  
"Apparently they aren't the only ones who got tuckered out." Roll replied, still giggling.  
"Nah, we'll be okay. We just need to recharge." Bass chuckled, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.  
"Sure thing. I'll show you to the guest room, then you can get a good night's sleep." Roll suggested, lacing her fingers through his.  
"That'd be wonderful, Roll. Make sure the bed is made up nicely." Dr. Light said as he entered the lab.  
"Come on, Treble. We get a real bed!" Bass exclaimed, ruffling the dog's ears playfully.

Roll giggled, then thought to herself sadly, _Just how bad is it when he gets excited over a_ _bed? Just what does the crazy doctor let him sleep on, anyway? Should I ask? Here goes..._ "Hey, what do you normally sleep on...well, I mean, when you lived with Wily?"  
Bass frowned as he thought back, "It was sort of a bed, but not really...more like a mattress with broken springs. There wasn't a bed frame at all. Oh, and a recharge capable ran underneath it."  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."  
"Don't worry 'bout it," Bass interrupted, holding a hand up to stop her apology, "I'm glad you asked, it's better than just looking at me and wondering. That's like staring at a war amp without asking how they got that way. They rather you ask, than just stare all the time."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I never thought of it like that before."

Both laughed nervously, Roll unlocking the guest room door, a small squeak emitting from the long-since oiled hinges. Bass stared into her eyes deeply, his own ruby eyes melting from her icy blue ones. Their lips touched, and they kissed, a warm tingling running between them.  
Once they parted, Roll lingered a moment longer, saying in a dreamy voice, "Good night."  
"Good night, Roll. Sweet dreams." Bass whispered, entering the room slowly, hesitant to leave. They stood there for awhile, just gazing in each other's eyes. Soon Bass broke the spell, shaking his head sleepily. He smiled warmly at her, then closed hi door, leaving Roll standing there, breathing shallowly. Soon she woke herself out of it, and headed down the hall to her own room, humming a little song to herself. Little did she know someone was lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack...


	6. Chapter 6: The Ransom

_**Author's Note: I hope you found that last chapter to be riveting, because this next chapter is somewhat calmer and filled with foreshadowing. I hope I've pleased you all with this fanfic. I have worked hard on it, and it is my first official. ;) That said, let's get on to the next chapter! **_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman, Bass, Roll, Dr. Light, Wily, or any other capcom characters. The only characters I own are: Aeroman, Olera, Delta, Silvara, and Quad. Please do not sue me. **

Chapter 6: The Ransom

The next morning was foggy and humid, the grass damp with early morning dew. Birds lilted in the nearby trees, bats retiring to any dark place they could take refuge in, the residents of the Light household stirring into wakefulness.  
Bass sat up in bed, stretching his arms above his head, fully recharged from his long night's sleep. He had never slept in such a comfortable bed in his entire existence, had never had such a soft pillow beneath his head.

He lowered his feet to the floor, and proceeded towards Roll's room to check if she was awake, Treble following him. "Roll, wakey wakey!" he called softly, gingerly pushing her door open just in case she wasn't presentable.  
Hearing nary a sound of stirring or her voice, he stepped full way into her room, gasping as he noted her bed to be empty. _Don't panic, Bass. She's probably already up._ But he did not feel this to be likely, for the bed was completely made, and was icy to the touch. _It's only seven O'clock, there's no chance she's been up long enough for it to be that cold..._ a shiver ran up his spinal connector, causing him to shudder. He hurried to the control room, nearly crashing into Megaman in the process.  
"Whoa, Bass! What's wrong, you look awful!" Megaman stated, catching the robot before both of them crumpled in a heap.  
"Have you seen Roll? Her bed, it's so cold, and perfectly made, and, and..."  
"Roll's not in bed? That can't be right, she normally doesn't rise to make coffee until quarter to eight," Megaman pondered, a worried frown on his face. "I wonder-..."  
"Wait," Bass interrupted, "do you mean to tell me you haven't seen her around here?"  
Megaman shook his head, leaving the gold and black robot to curse avidly.  
"This is not good," Megaman declared, "we have to tell doc Light."  
"No shit! It has to have been Shadowman, I mean, who else could have done this?" Bass groaned, squeezing his head in his hands, frustrated.  
"But how did he get in here? Our security is pretty tight, mostly during the night hours, and the guard bots change shifts, so none of them slept on the job..."  
"He's always in the shadows, Megaman. He teleports, no one's scanners can pick him up if he doesn't want them to." Bass explained, exasperated. He rubbed his temples, the purple markings under his eyes brightening as his anger increased.  
"That's true," Megaman countered, "but even if he hides in the shadows, he's still titanium, the sensors should have caught him."  
"Unless," Bass replied, a thoughtful expression crossing his face, "everytime he was discovered, he disposed of the guards. Once disabled, they wouldn't be able to alert us. It would be so easy for him, they wouldn't see him coming, thus, they wouldn't be able to fight."  
The two soon hurried to the control room, Dr. Light already sitting there, anguish on his face. "They've got her." He whispered, gesturing towards the large screen.  
"We know." Bass replied, anger shadowing his face like a dark cloud. His fists were clenched, his teeth bared.  
Light hit a switch, the screen showing Wily and Shadowman standing in their lab, Roll in the background, cursing up a storm, trapped in a large steel cage.  
"Good morning," greeted the recording of Wily, "as you must be well aware of by now, we have captured your precious little Roll bot. If you ever want to see her again, I suggest you surrender. This means no more foiling my plans, and keeping your Megaman away from my fortress. Also, if you wish to have her returned to you unscathed, hand Bass over. He will be dealt with harshly and swiftly."  
Bass let out a snarl, Treble cringing beside him. "That bastard, how _dare_ he? I do NOT belong to him anymore!"  
"We can't sacrifice Bass for Roll, doc. He doesn't want any part of Wily's plans. There has to be a way to stop him, we can't surrender," Megaman declared, "the whole city is in great danger, and the whole world with it!"  
The doctor nodded in agreement, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "There's only one way," he finally stated, "come with me."

* * *

Bass and Megaman followed the doc down the hall, reaching a large metal door with a security panel on the side. Dr. Light tapped a few keys, the door instantly sliding open as it read the code. All three stepped inside, the room bright with intense halogen lights. The centre of the room held a row of five large tubes, each containing a sleeping robot.

"Dr. Light, who are these guys?" Megaman asked, staring at one that bore a striking resemblance to himself, only with black armour and a dark blue crest on his helmet in the shape of four-sided star. _Wow, he looks like me, but he has Bass' crest...weird_. Megaman concluded.

He stared at the next one, with it's white armour. This one was a girl, with black accenting the white on her boots and her arms, a yellow band on her middle, circular black spires descending from her helm. Bass was admiring the other three, fascinated.

Two more were girls, one in red armour accented with black and white around her elbows and knees, little wing-like spires descending from her helmet. The other was in silver armour, a gold snake crescent on her helmet. The last of the robots was male, with green and black armour, white stripes running the length of his helmet, a single red jewel incrusted in the centre of it.  
"Well, the one with the star is called Aeroman. His name represents the fact that he is aerodynamic. He is swift, and able to teleport from one side of the lab to the other in 3.8 seconds." Dr. Light explained, opening the first tube holding Aeroman. The sleek robot opened his eyes, staring at his creator. His eyes were a shimmery black, with flecks of white. _He looks like he has a whole galaxy in his eyes._ Megaman thought to himself, awestruck.  
"Hello, Aeroman. Do you know who I am?" the doctor asked, tapping away on the control panel attached to the experimental tube. To Megaman, he said, "I'm just typing in some last minute programming, then he'll be completed. All that'll be left to do is make sure his armour is secure."  
"You are doctor Light, my creator and father." Aeroman replied, his voice that of a teenage boy.  
"Very good. Do you know who they are?" Light asked, gesturing towards Megaman and Bass.  
"Megaman, the robot who has defeated Wily numerous times, and my older brother. Bass, a robot created by doctor Wily to defeat Megaman, but who has become our ally."  
"There, that ought to do it. He's fully programmed." The doctor circled around Aeroman, inspecting his blue star and his headgear carefully. Once he was sure the armour was in perfect order, he released each of the other robots in turn. The next one was named Olera. She was swift like Aeroman, but her soul purpose was to attack with laser beams. She was also good for hacking into an enemy data base. The next three robots were Delta, Silvara, and Quad.  
Dr. Light asked each of them the same question he had asked Aeroman, carefully inspecting their armour. "Alright, now to make sure their sensors are fully functional," he declared, "Megaman, Bass, I do believe you can field this one. Just make sure their nerve sensory works."  
The two robots nodded in understanding. "Well, we can't blast a hole in them, so how do you propose we do it, Megaman?" Bass questioned.  
"Simple, watch and learn. There's a few methods. Like..." Megaman stood next to Olera, and gently began tickling her sides. She stifled a giggle, squirming. Megaman let out a chuckle, then proceeded with another demonstration, asking if Olera minded being the guinea pig. She shook her head, still suppressing her laughter. "You check all their vital spots, either by tickling, using a reflex hammer, or gently knocking on the armour. If they feel it, then their sensors are working perfectly."  
Bass raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. The two proceeded with their test, all of the new robots coming up in perfect working order. Unlike Aeroman, the others had very basic coloured eyes. Olera had bright blue, Delta, a sea green. Silvara sported hazel eyes, while Quad bore reddish-brown.  
"Excellent, they are all in perfect working order!" Dr. Light exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.  
"I don't understand, doctor. Why'd you bring us here? What does this have to do with rescuing Roll from Wily?" Bass inquired, gesturing to the five robots standing before them.  
"You're a special kind of clueless, you know that?" Delta replied, a smirk across her face.  
"What my rather rude sister means is, we're here to help you." Silvara stepped forward, giving her sister a meaningful glance.  
"So they're our back-up against Wily? But Wily has tons of robot masters, I don't see ho five more on our team is going to help..."  
Olera laughed then. "It's a good thing you're cute, you know that? Cause god knows you're not the sharpest tool in the shed."  
"We have more advanced upgrades then you. Dr. Light is unable to upgrade you beyond what he has. As it is, your upgrades exceed what even your systems are fully capable of handling. It's a miracle in itself that you two still function." Quad explained.  
"It isn't all so surprising, actually brother," Delta interjected nonchalantly, "because they have robotic dogs to fuse with, they share a lot of the excess power that they themselves cannot contain alone."  
"How do you know that, smart-alleck? You're only a few minutes older than I!" Quad contradicted.  
"I checked my file data-banks. Duh." Delta laughed, giving her brother a playful whack on the head.  
"Alright, you guys. Settle down. I know a lot of this is all so new to you, but I need you to focus now. It is time for us to come up with a strategy to save your older sister Roll." Dr. Light declared, snapping the young robots out of their bickering.  
"I'll happily inform them of my attack plan." Megaman offered, Bass nodding in solemn agreement.  
"I'd be most grateful, Rock. It gives me time to continue with my other lab projects."  
With that, Bass and Megaman led the five robots to the control room, Bass thinking all the while,_ These are the brilliant robots that Dr. Light created to help us rescue Roll? They're still far too curious and new, they aren't ready for this...and how did he build them so fast anyways? Unless he built them for other purposes before, but still...they may be more advanced, but can_ _they control all that power?_ He let out a sigh, his eyes drooping wearily, _even if they do defeat the robot masters, they might very well be destroyed in the process. I guess I'm going to have to keep an eye on them._ Bass hauled Megaman off to the side, expressing his concern for the younger robots safety.  
"You're right," Megaman whispered, "we best keep an eye on them, they're still very energetic. They haven't had the taste of battle yet. But give them some space, we have to let them prove their worth." _We also probably would be better off going on this mission without them, but there's no backing out now. _He added mentally, his mouth set in a grim line. With that, he proceeded to the front of the control room, and explained his attack plan in full detail, Bass standing off to the side staring out the window worriedly, silently praying Roll would be alright.

* * *

_**Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry if it seems blunt or too overly detailed, which ever you see it as. I'm writing with a major case of writer's block, so you'll have to bear with me. If you found this chapter unsatisfactory, I promise the next one will be a lot better.**_


	7. Chapter 7: Titanium Warzone

Chapter 7: Titanium War Zone

A few hours passed, and both Megaman and Bass were well on their way to Wily's fortress, the five juvenile robots directly behind them, bickering amongst themselves.  
"I'm telling you Olera, my cannon is much better than yours!"  
"How do you figure? You have lousy marksmanship, Delta!"  
"Don't delude yourselves. My plasma shots could burn a hole clean through both of you!" Quad declared, holding his cannon up proudly.  
"How about this, guys," Bass began through gritted teeth, "if you don't shut up right now, I'm gonna-."  
"Bass," Megaman hissed, then said to his newer siblings, "quiet down, okay? You guys were all designed by Dr. Light, so your strength should be equal to one another. In any case, I'm stronger than the five of you, I've had a lot of practice." With this last bit, he gave Bass a meaningful glance, the ebony robot bursting out laughing, almost unable to keep Treble's thrusters in check. Both he and Rock were fused with their loyal dog companions, the others flying with their own personal thrusters.  
"Is that it?" Silvara interrupted Bass, who was suppressing his laughter, to point at the large, skull-like fortress in the distance. Dark clouds looked over the entrance, lightning crackling across the deep, blackened sky.  
"Yeah, that's the place, sweetheart." Bass replied, narrowing his eyes at his former place of employment with great hatred.  
"How do you suppose we're getting passed his security?" Aeroman whispered, changing his right arm into his plasma cannon.  
"Weren't you paying attention when I was explaining the attack plan?" Megaman asked incredulously.  
"Uh...sort of..." Aeroman trailed off, blushing crimson as he looked at his superior sheepishly.  
Megaman slapped his forehead and let out an exasperated sigh, "Someone please tell me they were listening."  
"Well..." Delta said meekly, her eyes darting around between her brothers and sisters, then back to Megaman.  
"I was." Olera said, setting her optic sensors to night vision.  
Megaman sighed with relief, Bass chuckling inwardly. "Okay, that's good. Can you please explain to the rest of them?"  
"We're to set our sensors on high volume, night vision, so we can detect all life forms, robot or otherwise. That way, we can move into the base undetected by the guards. If it so happens that we cannot avoid the guards," she continued in a professor-like voice, "we are to quickly and stealthily disable each of them so that they cannot alert the others, and in so doing, they cannot alert Wily."  
Megaman beamed at his little sister, impressed with her vast knowledge and word-for-word explanation of his plan. The others quickly did as she instructed, and jettisoned towards the skull building at full speed, cutting through the woods. Once they reached the outer fence, they lowered themselves to the ground.  
"This way," Megaman whispered, "we can be a lot quieter when sneaking up on our enemies."  
The sound of mock applause sounded from their right, causing Megaman to start, Bass raising his cannon automatically. "Very clever," said a voice from the shadows, "but I'd say your luck has just run out." From the shadows came Shadoman, Roll in his grasp.

"Let her go!" Bass snarled, aiming his cannon right at Shadowman's silhouetted form. He was covered in complete shadow from the trees overhead, his armour glimmering dully.  
"Uh, uh, uh," Shadowman tsk-tsked mockingly, wagging his finger back and forth, "you shoot me, and I turn your pretty girlfriend into smoky scrap."  
"Lower your cannon, Bass," Megaman whispered, his eyes glaring unblinkingly at their nemesis, "it won't do Roll any good if she's killed."  
"Rock! Bass! Don't listen to what he tells you! Don't listen-."  
Shadowman jostled her, his grip on her throat tightening threateningly. "We'll have none of that, now." He hissed in her ear, his eyes wide with fury.  
"Let her go, or so help me, Shadowman, you'll be begging for mercy. If you lay one more finger on her, I'll tear you apart!" Bass growled menacingly, raising his cannon once again. His eyes blazed with ferocity, his teeth bared showing his white canine-like teeth. Treble unfused from him, his growl combining with that of his masters. His paws dug into the soft earth, his teeth gritted, dripping with synthesized saliva.  
"I'll take you down," Shadowman accepted the challenge, "you and your robo-dog too!" he added humourously.  
"Not if we take you down first!" Olera snapped, converting her arm into her own plasma cannon. Soon her brothers and sisters followed suit, their eyes narrowed dangerously, an air of warfare written across their faces. For the first time, they were showing their true nature; the nature of war machines.  
Shadowman grinned maliciously, then snapped his fingers. From all around him, Wily bots appeared, some without particular names, others subordinates under the robot masters. There stood Springman, Slashman, Turboman and many other robot masters, along with some of their lackeys, like Elecman and Gutsman.  
Megaman peered at them, doing a mental calculation. _There's at least twenty of them here!_ He thought incredulously. Was it even possible to beat all of them with so few numbers? _I guess we're going to have to try..._ with that last determined thought, he charged, leading his team into a full- fledged attack.  
He charged up his cannon to level three, hitting Shadowman square in the jaw. The stunned robot reeled, his grip loosening on Roll. Without missing a beat, she gave him a swift kick in the shins, then ran over to Bass, who covered her as he shot time and time again at any robots who dared to pursue her. The shots were only minor, distracting them so they couldn't get a firm grip on the escapee. She gave Bass a quick kiss on the cheek, then stood behind him, her hand resting on his back as he fired at the onslaught of subordinates that fulfilled their masters orders and attacked. All around them, Delta, Aeroman and Silvara swooped in low, charging up plasma shots, their shots accurate. Many of the robots staggered, but continued forward, blasting at their enemies full force. Olera swooped in on Springman and uppercutted him, sending him soaring through the air, crashing into a large pine tree, shattering the bark. As this happened, Quad was being surrounded by five lackeys and one master; Cloudman. The master sent bolt after bolt at the swift robot, he managed to jump and twist out of the way just in time. As he charged up a level six shot, he was rammed from behind, sent sprawling into the dirt. Without wasting time, Cloudman sent a bolt of lightning at the immobilized robot. Quad let out a pained cry, Silvara charging to his rescue. She soon met the same fate as her brother, and lay on the ground, helpless as bolt after electrifying bolt crackled through her circuits.  
Bass turned his attention to the pair of them, his synthetic heart skipping a beat as he watched their suffering and turmoil. _I've got to help them,_ he thought to himself wearily, softening as he watched the younger robots writhe and squirm in agony. He looked around. Megaman was occupied as it was, Olera, Aeroman and Delta likewise. _I guess it's up to me._ He sighed, and then leapt behind a tree, Roll in his arms.  
"Stay here, I have to go help your younger siblings." He ordered, lightly kissing her forehead.  
"My younger what?" she asked in confusion.  
"No time for that, just stay here!" with that, he and Treble fused, and charged full thrusters toward Cloudman. He fired up his cannon to level nine, and let it fly, slamming painfully into the cloud-like robot. He reeled under the impact, his next lightning shot going precariously off target. "Hey, bolt for brains, you want a real battle? Come and get it!" he charged up another shot, spreading it out so that it had a much wider range as Cloudman teleported in and out of reach.  
"You will pay for your insolence!" Cloudman said in a dangerous tone, pointing his finger threateningly at Bass. Without so much as a nano- seconds warning, a spark of electricity shot from his index finger, hitting Bass square in the chest. Bass let out a gasp, staggering slightly. He narrowed his eyes angrily, clutching his burning chest. With a furious cry, he open-fired, his eyes blinded by pure, cold hatred. Nearly every shot slammed into the electric-bound robot, catching him off-guard. Quad and Silvara came up behind the bewildered Wily bot, charging up their cannons to full power. With an enormous blast, they destroyed him, bits of shrapnel and scrap metal flying in every direction. They let out a cry of triumph, but it was immediately cut off as Slashman leapt on top of Silvara, his long titanium claws slashing away at the armour on her back.  
"Get him off me!" she screamed, frantically trying to shake the baboon- like robot off of her. Quad jumped into the air, aiming for Silvara's back with a well-placed kick. He caught Slashman under the chin, the enraged baboon cascading into a tree, wood splintering all around them.  
"Enough playing around," Shadowman hissed through gritted teeth, "finish them off!" with that, the remaining crew of robot masters and their subordinates surrounded Megaman and Bass, pushing the others closer into them to make sure the couldn't miss.  
"What do we do now?" Roll whispered fiercely, clutching Bass' arm. Bass let out a gulp, his back against Megmans', the others following suit so that none of their backs were exposed to the enemy. "I don't know," he replied quietly, "I just don't know."

The situation seemed hopeless. There was no way for any of them to escape Shadowman and the vast army of subordinate Wily bots surrounding them. Shadowman was beyond wanting to take them back to Wily's lab; his mission now was seek and destroy, and having just finished the seeking part, it was time to fulfill the next requirement.  
"We won't go down without a fight," Bass declared, "you guys ready?"  
the others nodded in response, their cannons raised, determination etched into their faces. Silvara stared scathingly at Shadowman, her siblings doing likewise. Roll still stood behind Bass, but she no longer was clutching his arm. A fierce, calm expression was on her face, her eyebrows knitting together, her blue eyes a defiant, sapphire blue. Megaman glanced at Bass, and without warning, the two leapt into the air. The Wily bots seemingly forgot about their other ground targets, and went straight for the two androids.  
"Now!" Megaman shouted. His younger brothers and sisters complied, firing rapidly at Shadowman and the rest of the army. Many were unprepared for the attack, and staggered, somewhat stunned. Others, on the other hand, seemed to have fully expected the clever tactic, and fired back with uncharged shots. The Light bots doubled their efforts, charging their cannons as they dodged shot after shot. Beams bounced all around them, ricocheting off of rocks and splintering the bark on trees. As Bass attacked Shadowman full force, he glimpsed the others out of the corner of his eye. On one side, Megaman, Olera, and Quad were charging at Elecman, Fireman, and many of the other lackeys. To his right, Silvara had just blown up a very perturbed Topman while Delta was firing aimlessly at Hardman and Woodman. Diagonal to his right was Roll hiding behind the closest cover she was able to scramble to; a large, hardy oak tree. _I've got to win this,_ he thought determinedly, _if I don't, Roll will die. The others can take care of themselves, but I could never forgive myself if something happened to her._ With that thought in mind, his eyes narrowed, and he let out a fierce battle cry. Charging his plasma cannon up to level twelve, he released it, a large, blazing blue shot blazing through the air, directed at Shadowman's chest. Clearly, the stealthy robot didn't expect such an attack, and thus, was blown apart, his limbs flying in many directions. Having seen that their leader was just destroyed, many of the lackeys fled. Meanwhile, the few robot masters left became more furious, shouting at the cowardice they seemed to display. Slashman leapt into the air, his claws gleaming in the fading daylight, his mouth twisted in an angry snarl. He failed to see his fatal mistake; he had launched himself towards the back of Quad, and in doing so, did not see Olera positioned off to his blind side. Faster than he could say 'destroy', he was blown apart. Turboman let out an outraged roar, and transformed into a racecar. He let out some impressive growls of his engine, then charged full-speed, his tired squealing on the forest floor. Bass, now somewhat unoccupied, saw Olera standing in his path, petrified.  
"Olera, move!" he shouted.  
"I can't!" she cried back. It was too late; Turboman collided with the pretty robot, sending her cascading into a boulder, smashing her headgear. Her wires were exposed, her eyes blank, then shutting.  
"Olera!, OLERA!" Delta screamed, tears brimming in her eyes as she rushed to her sisters' aid. Aeroman ran with her, shooting at any robots that tried to attack as they made their way to Olera's side.  
Bass ruby eyes glowed with ferocity, his anger at its peak. Charging his cannon to its highest level, he let out a terrifying snarl. Charging up Treble's thrusters, he flew straight for Turboman and the onslaught of Wily bots, then with one tremendous pinging sound, he let his plasma shot slam into the middle of the crowd. They all cried out in agony, glowing an eerie green. With a terrific pulse, the plasma shot exploded, taking many of the lackeys with them, Turboman's tires bouncing in the air. As the heat died out, Bass landed, Treble unfusing with his master and collapsing beside him. Bass panted hard, holding his aching arm as he stared in complete fury at the smouldering earth that lay before him. Many of the robots now lay scattered, beyond repair. Any that were fortunate enough not to have been in his line of fire were still badly injured, and before they too, could be destroyed, fled hap-hazardly, dreading their report to their master.  
Bass stood there for a moment, his eyes glazing over, Roll stepping tentatively up behind him. "Bass? Bass, are you alright?" she whispered, her brow furrowing in concern. He shook his head, clearing away the fog that seemed to be clouding his vision. He looked around him, spotting Treble laying on the ground, unconscious, a small trail of smoke curling up from his back.  
"Treble!" he gasped, scooping the canine up in his arms, holding him tightly. He cradled the burned-out dog, a pang of guilt sweeping over him, knotting his insides. Roll placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing him closer to her, hugging him. Aeroman and Delta carried a mangled Olera between them, Silvara and Quad silently weeping. Megaman patted their backs in turn, then turned to Bass, a worried look in his eyes.  
"Bass, are you going to be alright? Treble can be repaired, can't he?" he asked quietly.  
Bass let out a shuddering breath that turned into a strangled sob, and to everyone's disbelief, began to cry into his dog's mane.  
"Bass? Please, say something!" Roll cried, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to burst at any moment.  
"He's...gone!" he finally whispered. The impact of the realization was horribly great. He let out another sob, then shouted in sheer agony, "HE'S GONE!"

Author's note: I hope you all are more pleased with this chapter than the last. I assure you, the battle is far from over, and it has yet to become far more sinister. I didn't want to kill Treble off, but it was necessary for my plot.


	8. Chapter 8: Between Revenge and Justice

Chapter 8:Between Revenge and Justice

Days passed, Bass' mood nowhere near improving. It didn't help that the weather refused to work with him, either. Rather than being dark and stormy like one would expect surrounding such tragic events, it was an illustrious, beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, wispy clouds floating gently over top the forest, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of heather and lilac in the air. Bass sat on the front step of Dr. Light's lab, staring absently at the forest as scenes from his previous battle played unmercifully over and over in his head. He did not hear Roll open the door and slowly walk up behind him, didn't hear her pained whisper. It was not until she had gone back inside had he even realized she was there at all. He looked back to see the door swing shut, a tray of cookies and oil cooler where Roll had been standing. He slowly stood, shaking his head sorrowfully. He grabbed the tray, opening the oil cooler and taking a long swig, tears running unchecked down his purple markings. He set the bottle back down, and went inside, heading towards the den where Roll sat, her arms wrapped around her knees with her head buried inside. She sobbed softly, her blonde bangs falling across her forehead, her ponytail dangling over her shoulder.  
Bass wrapped an arm around her, his tears flowing more intensely. Roll settled closer into him, her sobs more audible now.  
"I'm so sorry, Bass, I truly am. I- just wish we could have done something to save him..." she choked, her tear-stained face looking into his. Bass fought the onslaught of tears that threatened to overwhelm him, and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.  
"There was nothing you could have done," Bass whispered, "he was too far gone, they destroyed him beyond all repair."  
Roll looked up hopefully, "We still have his body, we could try to..." Bass only shook his head mournfully, dismissing the idea. "We can't, Roll. All his critical systems are fried, not even doc Light could repair that massive amount of damage."  
Both sat in silent, shedding their tears, memories flooding them. Treble had given his life when he and Bass had been fused. He had gone off the scales with his power-up to his thrusters, completely burning up his sensors and frying his circuits, knowing full well the damage he'd do to himself. But that had never mattered to the loyal robo-wolf; he loved Bass, and would protect him and do whatever he had to. His master had been in danger, as had his master's friends. He gladly had given his last breath for Bass, even though it had meant his complete, and utter demise.  
_You stupid dog, why? Why'd you listen to me? You knew you'd die, why? Why'd you do_ _it? Why,_ Bass thought furiously, swiping his arm across his eyes, _It's all my fault! Treble, I'm_ _so sorry, boy, I'm so, so, sorry! I will make Wily pay for this! They'll all be destroyed!_ His anger elevated, his vision clouded once again.  
Roll clutched his arm, looking at him fearfully. Then, as realization struck her, a grim determination took over her, understanding his mission. Standing swiftly, she stuck out a hand to help him up. "Let's go," she declared, "it's time to avenge Treble."  
Bass took her hand, a weak smile on his face, and both hurried to the control room, meeting Megaman and the others along the way.

Hours passed as they devised an attack plan on Wily's fortress, Megaman trying profusely to convince Bass not to do anything rash in the name of revenge.  
"What do you expect me to do? Because of Wily, Treble is now...dead..." he snapped, trailing off as his eyes glazed over in memory of everything he and the loyal robo-wolf had been through together.  
Megaman put a comforting hand on the ebony robot's shoulder, apologizing quietly. Olera stepped up, fully functional and completely fixed after her near-death battle with Turboman.  
"Don't worry," she declared softly, "we will bring him to justice, and avenge your dog." She stalked away quietly to whisper amongst her other siblings, who were very happy to see she was alright.  
"Well, I guess it's time to go." Bass finally said after a few moments of silence. Megaman only nodded in response, and called Rush to his side. The red dog looked solemn and sorrowful. He had enjoyed having Treble around as company, the two dogs often played and fought over wrenches when their masters had no need of them. Megaman patted he do softly, thinking to himself, _What if it had been Rush who'd ended upthat way?_ _What if I had burnt his thrusters out I the name of duty? That's all Bass did, all he did was do what he had to do to end this war. And now...now he's beating himself up over it. Only trouble is, Treble still would have done it anyway. He knew it had to be done, it isn't Bass' fault...  
_Rush put his muzzle in Mega's hand affectionately, knowing full well what his master was pondering over. With that, he fused, Mega telling the robo-dog mentally to be careful. Roll gave her brother a hug, and then gave Bass a quick kiss. Aeroman, Olera and the others fired up their jet packs, Mega following suit with Rush' thrusters. Without Treble, all Bass could do was teleport ahead of them, it would take far too much time to travel by foot.  
With new determination, the seven set off, their thoughts of victory and piece that they hoped they would restore to the city, and hopefully to the earth.

Author's note: I know this chapter is a bit short, but I'm having a hell of a time with this story lately. 0o If anyone has any helpful plot tips an such, it would be much appreciated. I will also give you full credit for your help in my disclaimer. I hope this chapter isn't too disappointing, my muse is being very uncooperative as of late...


	9. Chapter 9: Zero is Born

**Disclaimer: Only Delta, Silvara, Aeroman, Quad, and Olera belong to me. All other characters are the property of Capcom.**

Chapter 9:Zero is Born

They arrived at the fortress a short fifteen minutes later, Bass already waiting for them at the main gate, a look of anguish and determination upon his face, darkening his features. _If it were possible,_ Megaman thought to himself, _Bass would have storm clouds over his eyebrows._ Bass looked at Mega, and Mega turned away quickly, wondering if the black robot knew what he was thinking. _Not that he would give a damn._ He concluded, charging up his blaster accompanied by the others.

"On my signal, we go in." Megaman declared, his blaster fizzling and whirring as it began to glow and spark with intense energy. He silently counted down from five, and everyone quickly went over the wall, silently and swiftly. They approached the base quickly as possible, stopping to hide when they came into range of any guard-bots around. Both Bass and Megaman disabled the guards by shooting them directly at the center point of their panels, keeping them from alerting Wily to their presence. This continued for some time, until they reached the bolted door.

"How do we get in?" Delta asked, staring a the keypad that would allow them entrance, "we don't know the password."

"Fortunately, I do." Bass replied. He put his hand up to the scanner, then keyed in the five-digit code. "There, now let's go." He ordered, letting the five young light-bots enter first, he and Megaman exchanging glances.

"Remember what I said," Mega whispered cautiously, "not revenge solely. Do it for justice."

Bass ignored him, and the seven headed down the corridor, eventually coming to the main programming room.

"Sensors indicate that Wily is just beyond that door," Olera said, her eye scan sweeping over the metal door and picking up yellow and red life signs, "should we jump in and surprise him, or what?"

"Or, we could do this!" Bass roared, and fired a level twelve shot, melting the door instantly. He stomped into the room, and his face fell. Megaman looked at Bass' expression, bewildered.

"Bass? What are you-?" Megaman stopped dead in his tracks as his gaze swept over to where the former Wily-bot was staring. Rather than looking surprised at their arrival, doctor Wily looked delighted, a cruel smile upon his face. But this wasn't what perturbed him the most; next to Wily stood a red bot with long blonde hair and green eyes. He had silver accenting the red, and bore a green light-saber at his side rather than an arm cannon like Mega and Bass.

"Hello Megaman. Bass," the doctor replied, nodding at the two, "I've been expecting you. I would like you to meet...Zero."

"Oh, he's Zero alright," Bass finally retorted after getting a good look at the new Wily bot, "he won't be able to beat any of my records of destruction. He looks just as unfit as the rest of your robo-rejects. Face it, Wily, you'll never have another one like me!"

"Ah, you have one thing right; I won't ever have another like you. You see, Bass, Zero is MUCH better than you...he is not a simple robot like yourself...he is a reploid."

Bass was caught off guard, but replied just the same, "Doesn't look any different to me, hmph! Nice try, Wily, but giving him a fancy name and a fancy weapon doesn't make him any less a robot. Calling him a reploid won't change that."

"On the contrary, you arrogant little traitor," Wily interjected, "a reploid is much different than a robot. You see, he has his own opinions, his own thought process. He isn't merely programmed to know things and to have emotions...he actually _feels_ them on his own free will. He is free to make whatever decision he wises without programming getting in the way. He can also," he added grinning foolishly, "learn from his mistakes and from his experiences. That is much more than I ever had with you."

Bass narrowed his eyes, "Enough chit chat, doc. Let's get this party started!" Bass declared, firing up his arm cannon.

"As you wish," the doctor shrugged absently, "but it will be your own undoing..." with a snap of his fingers, Zero charged at the ebony robot, tightening his grip around his throat menacingly. "Not so tough now, are you hot stuff?" he growled, throwing Bass against the door frame.

Bass did a flying round-house kick, sending the reploid smashing into the wall. "I'm tougher than you think, pretty boy!"

"We gotta help him!" Delta cried, charging up her attack beams.

"No time for that," Megaman replied, shaking his head, "we have the rest of the robot masters to face." _This is Bass' fight, he needs to do this on his own._

"But what if he gets hurt?" Quad protested, looking over to the proceeding battle. Bass had just upper-cutted Zero, and Zero now tackled him into a wall, leaving a large crack running the length of it.

"Someday, you'll understand," Megaman reassured, "but for now, we have to go after the masters, and destroy the fortress. Aeroman, you and Olera come with me. Quad, you, Delta and Silvara go to floor D-253, sector nine."

They nodded in understanding, not willing to disobey a direct order.

_Good luck, Bass. _Megaman exited quickly, leaving the black clad former villain to battle to the finish if need be.

* * *

"All robot masters, calling all robot masters! Megaman is on base, I repeat; Megaman is on base. To your battle stations!" Wily shouted over the mic system, quickly exiting the room where Bass and Zero were having at it. "Love to stay and chat, but I have some escaping to do!" with a maniacal laugh, he dodged out just as Bass fired a shot at him, the door closing swiftly behind him.

"Oh no you don't!" Zero jumped at Bass, knocking him to the floor. The two rolled around, punching and kicking, each one of them landing significant blows.

"Aaaargh!" Bass grunted, his eye blackening from a particularly painful shot the reploid had landed on him. He grabbed Zero by his golden locks, shoving him off with a well-placed foot. Setting his boot into his belly, he sent him sprawling over him, crashing into another wall, a large dent forming.

"You'll pay for that!" Zero snarled, pulling his green saber up to his side and striking out at Bass vehemently. Bass dodged just in time, sending a plasma shot at the reploid's helmet. It ricocheted off, the reploid grinning triumphantly.

"Face it, old timer. I'm more advanced than you, you'll never defeat me!" Zero laughed, grabbing Bass' arm and flipping him over his shoulder. Bass growled like a rabid animal, and sprung up, socking the cocky reploid right in the jaw. He skidded across the floor, a look of dismay and surprise upon his face.

"I may be older, but my upgrades are just as advanced as yours," Bass retorted, "and I don't need a fancy name like _reploid_ to make me seem more superior." He charged his cannon up to a level nine, and hit the center of Zero's chest, the stunned reploid staggering from the power packed behind the shot. Bass charged at him, taking full advantage of the moment, and knocked him over, straddling him as his fingers gripped his shoulders. Zero struggled under his weight, growling all the while. He grabbed under the black and gold robot's chest armour, and lifted up with amazing strength. He tossed Bass aside like an old newspaper, and slammed a fist into his gut. Bass let out a pained groan, which turned into a snarl halfway through as he blasted shot after shot at the cocky reploid. Burn marks now covered his armour, and he raised his saber up angrily, charging at Bass with malice in his eyes. He struck Bass across the chest, then hit him across the face. Synthetic blood dripped from Bass' cheek, a grunt escaping him. A large scratch was on his armour, a trail of fluid trickling down into a puddle at his feet.

"Is that the best you can do, blondie? All you hit was my cooling system, I don't necessarily need it." Bass did a swift low kick, knocking Zero off his feet, and pointed his cannon at him. "This battle," he declared, breathing hard with both adrenaline and determination, "is over."

"Olera, take down those seven there, Delta, come with me!" Mega shouted orders to his five younger siblings. They had already taken out all the other robot masters and their subordinates in sector nine. Now they had to take out one more division, plant the explosives, and get out of there. _I hope Bass is having better luck then us._ Megaman pondered to himself, destroying yet another lackey that attempted to attack him. Plasma shots were ricocheting off the titanium doors, the sounds deafening, yet the Light-bots refused to give up. Olera took out another six robots, Delta jus finishing with an entire squad along with Quad. Aeroman battled over head, his thrusters on as he plummeted towards the ground at a high-speed, then dropped his enemy into the ground. All that remained of his nemesis was a smoking crater.

"Good job you guys," Megaman praised, "now Aeroman, Quad, go plant the detonators. We'll meet out in the woods."

"What about the rest of you?" Aeroman asked, slowly turning his thrusters off.

"Delta, Silvara and Olera are going to the woods," he explained, "I'm going to track down Bass and this Zero character."

When Megaman located him, Bass was flat on his back, Zero pressing his knee into his chest, his glowing green blade tucked right under the black-clad bots' neck. Bass squirmed, no fear upon his face, only a look of vengeance.

"Bass! I'm coming!" Megaman called, running towards the pair.

"No, Mega, stay back!" Bass warned, fighting the reploid off. He set his foot into the reploid's stomach once again, sending him hurtling into a rack of test tubes.

"Stay out of this, blue boy! This is between me and the scrap pile!" Zero snapped, raising his saber threateningly.

Megaman bared his teeth, but still complied for Bass' sake. Bass shot round after round, landing every single one on the reploid, scorch marks appearing on both his chest and his helmet.

"You'll pay for that, old timer!" without warning, Zero through his green saber, his aim true. It slashed Bass' side, clattering to the floor and fizzling out. Bass cried out in agony, his fluids now puddling all around him. He fell to his knees, clutching his side.

"Bass!" Mega cried out, rushing to his side. Bass held up a hand, telling Megaman not to proceed an further.

"I....I've got...him...don't worry...this...is ...my battle...not...yours...." He said reassuringly, grimacing in pain. He got up slowly, Zero standing right before him, now weaponless.

"Love to finish this, but gotta go! We'll finish this some other time, Bass." Zero growled, and teleported away.

"Wait!" Bass called out. _Damn, he got away!_ He cursed himself.

"No time for that, Bass, we have to get out here, this place is gonna blow!"

The two bots quickly exited, diving into the bush just as the lab exploded, shrapnel flying in every direction, scorching them. _We finally did it,_ Megaman thought in disbelief, _Wily's fortress is no more._

_Authors note: Sorry it took me so long to update this, but I just got over my writer's block. Thanks to all of you who kept supporting me, and helped give me ideas when none came to mind. I appreciate all your help. ;)_


	10. Chapter 10: Reincarnated

**Disclaimer: Olera, Quad, Silvara, Aeroman ans Delta belong to me. All others are the property of Capcom.**

Chapter 10: Reincarnated

"Are you guys okay?" Roll greeted her siblings and Bass as they returned, all of them somewhat hurt and all of them completely exhausted. Bass nodded weakly, clutching his arm.

"Wily's fortress is no more," Megaman explained quietly, wincing as his shoulder sparked, "it blew up. Our mission was successful." He smiled wanly, and looked at Bass. Bass, however, just looked troubled.

"Bass, what is it?" Roll asked in concern, her brow furrowing. The yellow and black robot just shook his head, placing a weak smile on his face as a front.

"Nothing, it's nothing...I guess I'm just really tired..." _Who am I kidding? That Zero character...he's way too strong for my liking...but,_ he concluded silently to himself,_ no need to upset Roll or the professor over this new menace._

"What of Wily," Dr. Light approached, ushering the seven robots inside so he could make repairs, "has he...died as well?"

Bass shook his head wearily, "No, he...escaped..." he settled down on the bench, waiting as the doctor began repairs on Megaman and each of his siblings in turn.

"And we have no idea where." Olera added as Light gestured her over to him.

"Well, don't worry," Dr. Light said reassuringly, "some day, he will run out of places to hide...eventually, you will bring him to justice again."

_I highly doubt it._ Bass thought bitterly, watching as the doctor began work on Aeroman's few dents and scratches. _If...if only Treble were still here..._with this, tears welled in his eyes, and he ran out of the lab, heading to the woods.

* * *

Bass ran blindly, not caring that he was low on energy and that he was still injured. He missed the robotic wolf-dog more than anything, and he still hadn't been able to avenge his death. _I'm so sorry Treb...I tried, I really did..._ he wiped the synthetic tears from his eyes, and stopped in a familiar clearing...the clearing where he and Treble spent endless hours after a fight with Wily, where the two of them came to think, where he had spent a few times with Roll when she'd come out to see him. He sat down on the boulder, and looked at the starry sky through the canopy of leaves above him. The stars were so bright, the moon full. He let out a sigh, letting the cool wind refresh him and dry his tears. _Treble would have loved it out here,_ he thought sadly,_ he always loved the moon._ He lay down, feeling the coolness of the rock beneath him. As he gazed at the stars, his mind wandered off to all the things he and the loyal wolf had done together, all the things they had accomplished, all the times they failed, and more over, all the time they had spent together, dog and master. Treble had been the only one who had ever doubted him, the only one who had comforted him when he was sad or angry. As his vision focused, he noticed something strange about the stars; they were..._No way!_ He thought in disbelief, sitting up and looking more closely. To his astonishment, the stars formed the shape of that of a robot wolf-dog...a wolf-dog just like Treble! _Even when you're gone,_ Bass thought, smiling warmly as he brushed fresh tears from his eyes, _you'll always be with me...you are a part of me, as I am of you..._He slowly got up, his eyes brightening as he looked at the strange constellation. _Thank you, old friend. I will always remember you._ With his soul at ease, he slowly made his way back to the lab where Roll and everyone else was waiting for him.

* * *

When Dr. Light was done making the repairs on Bass, he let him go to his quarters without questioning why the robot had run off. Bass flopped down on his bed, hugging his pillow and letting out a sigh. Tentative knocking came at his door, to which he muttered, "Come in."

Roll meekly stepped through the door threshold, and waved. She slowly descended towards the bed, and sat next to Bass, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked, searching his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just," he paused, remembering the Treble-shaped constellation, "I just needed some time alone. I still...really miss Treble."

Roll patted him in understanding, then pulled him into a hug, "I do too, we all do." She whispered, and without another word, she left, leaving the black robot alone with his thoughts.

* * *

The next morning, Bass got up early, and went down into the basement of the lab. He opened a set of crates, coughing as dust rose in the air. _Where is he? He has to be here somewhere...aha!_ Bass popped the lid off of one crate, and lifted its contents out. The wiring was frayed, and the metal armour was horribly scorched and dented, but just maybe...Without warning, a series of whirring and bleeps emitted from the object, causing Bass to drop it and step back. The object let out a slight whine, and sputtered, sparks emitting from its old body.

Bass stepped closer to it, and whispered, "I'm sorry for dropping you buddy, you just surprised me...I guess even though you're gone your systems haven't fully shut down." He picked Treble up gingerly, inspecting him. Again, the robot-wolf dog let out a soft whine. Bass gasped in surprise, exclaiming, "Wait a damn minute! You...you're not dead?! And you've been down here, by yourself, all this time?! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Treble! Are you okay, buddy? We gotta show the others, maybe we can repair you yet!"

Bass held fast to the violet dog, and ran up the stairs, shouting at the top of his voice, "Wake up, wake up! He's alive, Treble is still alive!"

Everyone came out of their rooms in bewilderment, staring at the robot and the bundle of purple metal in his arms. Roll dashed over to Bass, her eyes wide with amazement, her mouth gaping.

"Oh...my...gosh...is that...him?!" she finally stammered, pointing at Treble with a trembling forefinger.

"Yes!" Bass exclaimed eagerly, hugging the dog tightly as he let out a pitiful moan.

"I don't believe it," Megaman muttered in astonishment, "he made it! The little bugger made it!" he ran down the hall, shoving Dr. Light out into the hall, the good doctor rubbing his eyes and mumbling in confusion.

"Doc," Bass cried, running up to him and shoving the wolf under his nose, "can you fix him?"

* * *

It took many, anxiety-filled hours, but as he opened the lab door, everyone stepped forward to greet him, bombing him with panic-filled questions.

"Is he okay?"

"Did he make it through the procedure?"

"Is he fully functional?"

"Does he still have fusion powers?"

"Does he still have memory storage?"

"Give it to me straight, doc," Bass said dramatically, "is he gonna be alright?" he looked eagerly at Dr. Light, his ruby eyes pleading.

Dr. Light waved off everyone's questions, and after one heart-pounding moment, replied, "Yes, Bass, he is going to be just fine. He is in perfect working condition. However," he added, "he will need a few days rest to recuperate. If you wish, you may come and visit him." Bass' eyes lit up, and he jumped at the chance.

"Would I? Would I ever!" he replied, running into the lab, slamming the door behind him.

Joyous barks and yips could be heard from the room, along with Bass crying out happily. Megaman and Roll exchanged glances, and all of them began giggling.

_Author's Note: I know, I know...my heart is too soft, I just had to bring him back...it is also very helpful for my plot and chapters to come. ;)_


	11. Chapter 11: Stars and Shrapnel

**Disclaimer: Aeroman, Olera, Quad, Silvara and Delta belong to me. All other characters belong to Capcom.**

Chapter 11: Stars and Shrapnel

During those few days of rest, Bass gave Treble the most attention he'd ever received in his robotic life. He spent long hours petting the dog under the starry sky in the woods, the scent of lilacs and carnations leaving the two Wily-bots feeling relaxed and contented. Things were right with the world, and Bass was never happier to have Treble back as he was now.

"It's such a beautiful night, don't you think?" Roll asked, her fingers laced with Bass', leaning close as she whispered in his ear.

Bass nodded in agreement, petting Treble with his free hand. The sky was so clear, the half moon glowing so bright, it would be a shame if city lights interfered. Treble let out a sigh, tucking his head down on his great forepaws, his eyelids slightly closed.

"Remember the first time we met out here?" Bass asked after a moment, averting his ruby eyes to look into Roll's blue ones.

"Yeah," Roll giggled, "what a day. You were so stubborn, you didn't want us to help you."

"I had my reasons," Bass said in mock defense, puffing up his chest, "and besides, I self generate."

Roll shook her head, amusement playing across her face. "You wouldn't admit you needed help if your arm was bleeding 90 per cent of you fluid! Oh, wait...it was!" she burst into giggles, Bass staring at her, a wry smile upon his face.

"Oh, think it's funny now, do you?" he replied in a mock tone, tackling her to the ground. Treble began to yip playfully, joining in as Bass began tickling Roll mercilessly. He licked her face, causing her to sputter amongst her laughter.

"Noooooooo! Please! Ha ha ha ha!!! Okay, okay! I give up!" she cried, tears in her eyes as Bass' fingers drummed across her midsection. He stopped, grinning in triumph as he helped her to her feet.

"That will teach you to make fun of me." He chuckled, holding her in a gentle embrace. They stared into one another's eyes for a moment, then began to kiss passionately, eyes closed, synthetic hearts racing. Treble let out a soft whine, interrupting the moment. Bass and Roll looked at one another, and laughed.

"Okay, okay, boy. You win." Bass said, giving the dog a quick pat on the head. He re-laced his fingers through Roll's, and both stared at the sky, the stars shining in their eyes.

_I'm so glad he's happy again,_ thought Roll, glancing over at the gold and black robot affectionately, _for awhile there, I felt like there was nothing I could do to ease his pain. But now, with Treble back in his life, and everything almost back on track, anything is possible._ The three robots soon set off towards the Light laboratory, towards home.

* * *

"Bass! I'm so glad you guys are back," Megaman greeted as Bass, Roll, and Treble entered the control room, "Here, take a look at this." With a few taps on the computer board, a scene opened up before them on the screen. It showed the city, buildings up in smoke, traffic jams, vehicles flipped, everything demolished and people helter-skelter as the ran in fear. A figure in red and silver armour appeared on the screen, wielding a green saber.

"Zero has attacked the city, he's put everything up in flames searching for you."

"I don't think that's what he's doing," Bass shook his head in protest, "he can easily find me with his tracking system. I think he's trying to flush me out into the open, though."

"Who's Zero?" Roll asked in confusion, looking from both Bass to her brother.

"Zero is a reploid," Megaman began to explain, "a more human-like robot who can determine right from wrong and has emotions beyond his programming."

"Sounds a lot like us. I fail to see the difference...but wait a minute! When did you run into this guy? And how come neither of you told me?" Roll demanded, hands on her hips.

"Well, we thought to at first, but we decided against it...after all, things DID quiet down for quite some time. We thought he gave up or something." Bass explained, synthetic perspiration forming on the back of his head.

Roll glared at both of them accusingly, Megaman finally retorting, "Hey, Aeroman and the others didn't tell you either, don't just look at us! We didn't tell them to keep quiet."

Roll only shook her head, resigning. "Okay, so how long until he destroys the whole city?" she asked.

"Not gonna happen. Megaman, get your brothers and sisters," Bass ordered, "it's time to make Zero just what his number identifies."

Bass fused with Treble, Mega following suit with Rush as his brothers and sisters powered up their own thrusters. They rushed into the city, immediately spotting the perpetrator among the shrapnel and havoc.

"Stop right there, Zero," Bass snarled, "or prepare to be turned into a smoking pile of scrap."

"Smoking," Zero quipped, "what a nasty habit. I guess I'm gonna have to show you how it's done!" without so much as a warning, he pulled out his saber and charged at Bass, simultaneously shooting at him with his left arm that switched into a cannon. Bass dodged, and began firing purple laser shots at him, twice as powerful as his regular blaster shots due to the power he got from Treble and from their new upgrades. He sent his fist slamming into the reploids' jaw, a perfect uppercut that sent Zero flying into a stack of garbage pails. Zero recovered, an angry grimace upon his face. He swiped at Bass with the saber, narrowly missing him. Bass tackled him to the ground, sending punch after punch into his face, Zero attempting to block the attack. Finally he got his fist free and wailed Bass in the eye, the ebony warrior caught by surprise as he reeled and cascaded into the side of a building, brick shrapnel raining all around him.

"Bass, are you alright?" Aeroman called, charging up his blaster with extreme intensity.

Bass nodded in reply, then charged at Zero again, sending a right-roundhouse into his gut. Zero doubled over, and that's when Aeroman fired. The shot didn't do a lot of damage, but it took a chunk out of the reploid's armour. He turned around fiercely, his eyes glowing with such malice that I gave Aeroman the chills. He shot at the black robot with the galaxy eyes, Aeroman dodging just in time, Silvara shooting at Zero in an attempt to cover her brothers' escape. Delta then swept low, Olera right behind her as they shot round after round, both ramming into him at half speed. Zero let out a groan, the two sisters taking flight, dents in their armour, scratches on their faces.

"Enough playing around, time to end this!" Zero snarled, charging p his cannon menacingly. He let it go, the blast so bright Megaman had to shield his eyes. The last thing the blue bomber heard was "Look out!" and everything faded to black...

_Author's Note: I know it is somewhat short, but I'm becoming tired right now, I just hope people like this chapter as much as the last one...chapter 12 will be action-packed...I'm not sure if it will be the last...I'm trying to prolong the fanfic..I don't really want it to end...;)_


	12. Chapter 12: The Sacrificial Lamb

**Disclaimer:I do not own Megaman, Roll, Dr. Light, Wily, Bass (though I wish I did) or any other capcom characters shown here. The only characters that are original are Olera, Silvara, Quad, Aeroman and Delta.**

_Note: I hope this chapter will be to your liking. It shall be longer than the last, and have a lot more action, or so I hope. To those of you who have praised my work, I thank you for your kind words; for those who have been quite picky, your idea of constructive criticism is appreciated, but being a fanatic about using the full name is not necessarily "constructive". I do appreciate your efforts, however, in telling me what you honestly think, and for still liking this fic despite the obsessiveness with name accuracy._

Chapter 12: The Sacrificial Lamb

Megaman woke up, dazed and confused. As his vision cleared, he realized his siblings were all standing around him, worried expressions on their faces.

"Brother, are you alright?" Silvara queried, her hands resting on her knees as she leaned in to have a closer look, examining him carefully.

"Yeah, I'm fine...what happened?" he muttered, putting his hand to his head as dizziness overtook him once more. Suddenly, he looked up sharply, and asked, "Hey, where's Aeroman?"

The three sisters and Quad stood there, fidgeting and exchanging glances, sorrow upon their faces.

"Aero...Aeroman took the blast...Bass tried to stop him, but by the time he reached his location, Zero had already fired..." Olera managed, choking on sobs.

Megaman looked around, spotting Bass, unconscious, next to a smoking heap of metal; the metal that once was Aeroman.

"No...no...it can't be..." Megaman said hollowly, his eyes glazing over in disbelief. _He sacrificed himself, for us!_ He got up hurriedly, hurrying over to Aeroman's smouldering body, and crouching next to him. Aeroman's armour was shattered in many places, his face grubby from the explosive power. His eyes were closed, his right shoulder fizzling and crackling as his circuits fried away. "Aeroman..." he let out a low sob, holding his brother's head in his hands. Tears streamed down his cheeks, falling to the ground and splashing on the black and blue-armoured robot.

Next to him, Bass stirred, still fused with Treble. He let out a groan, and his eyes fluttered open. "Wh..What happened? Where are we?" he mumbled, sitting up slowly.

"We just battled Zero," Quad answered quietly, "Aeroman is out, both of you got hit by the brunt of the attack."

Bass closed his eyes, checking his system files. "Oh, yeah. Well, Treble's still online, I was worried there for a minute," he replied, "I'm sorry about your brother." He said to them, staring mostly at Megaman.

Rush unfused from Megaman, letting out a low whine. Bass let Treble unfuse too, knowing full well the wolf-dog needed a rest after the battle.

After a moment, Bass asked, "Is there any hope of repairing him at all?"

Megaman shook his head in uncertainty, "I'm not sure...I guess all we can do is bring him to Dr. Light and see what happens."

* * *

As they walked into the lab, Megaman spotted Protoman, and decided to fill him in on the happenings. The battle with Zero, how one of their new siblings was now in critical condition, everything that had happened since Protoman had last been there.

"Whoa...we have siblings? This is news!" Protoman replied, his visor gleaming. He helped set Aeroman down on the work-bench, and everyone began talking at once to Dr. Light.

"Zero shot a huge beam, and it hit Aeroman!"

"Can you fix him, dad?"

"Yeah, dad. Can you?"

"Bass tried to help him, but the blast hit him too!"

"No it didn't. Come on now, me get hit? I mean get real..."

"You're not invincible, you know! Geez, male robots are SO cocky. Anyways, can you help him dad?"

Dr. Light held up a hand to silence them, then replied quietly, "Yes, he can be repaired," everyone sighed with relief, "however, it's going to take me quite some time before he is completely repaired, a lot of critical damage has been done to his primary circuits. Don't worry, your brother will be back in battle in no time."

Roll came in just then, looking form Aeroman on the lab bench to the group of robots standing about.

"Something tells me Zero won that round..." she trailed off, going over to Bass to greet him. He kissed her lightly, his arm around her shoulders. Off to the side, Protoman was talking to Olera, Delta, Quad, and Silvara. He looked mildly impressed on their vast knowledge on everyone in the room, and on how high-tech they were.

"So doctor? When did you make them?" Protoman turned to Light, flipping his scarf around his neck more securely.

"Not too long before Bass rebelled against Dr. Wily. I thought it was time I built up more for Megaman's team so that it isn't just he alone who battles the Wily-bots."

"I helped him too." Protoman said defensively.

"That you did," Dr. Light agreed, "but much of the time you go off on your own. Megaman needs help a lot of the time, and unfortunately, you can't always be there. Don't take it personally, Blues, I just wanted to make it easier on your brother."

Blues only sighed, and continued talking with his younger siblings. Suddenly Rush and Treble began howling and barking, staring at the surveillance monitor.

"Settle down, you two! What in the world do you suppose they're..." Megaman stopped in mid sentence, a grin spreading acrossed his face as he recognized the two small figures heading towards the lab. "It's Eddy and Beat!"

"We haven't seen you two in a long while! Auto send you from his shop?" Megaman greeted the blue robo-bird and the strange, red, walking computer. It seemed the two of them had important information on their new nemesis, Zero. Eddy kept hopping around in excitement, but Megaman couldn't understand what either of them wanted.

"Megaman, hook him up to the computer, it will translate any information he has." Dr. Light instructed, pulling out a cable. He hooked it up to Eddy, Megaman hooking up the Y-component to Beat. First, a short video clip began playing of Zero destroying the city.

"Yeah, yeah," Bass said impatiently, "we already know what he's doing, you guys. We've fought him enough times to know! How is this helpful info...?"

"Bass, shut up for a minute, look!" Protoman shushed the gold and black robot, Bass giving him a death glare that immediately dissolved once he saw the image change on the screen. It was the frame and blue prints of Zero, and his weapon, which was labeled as a Z-saber. He let out a whistle, seemingly impressed.

"According to this, Zero was created to take Bass' place, and to beat the robot Dr. Thomas Light is..._secretly making?_" Megaman looked at the doctor in confusion, flabbergasted.

Dr. Light sighed, "I guess it's about time I told you, Megaman. I plan to upgrade you...more so than ever before...and I plan to make you Megaman...X." he went over to a panel on the computer, tapped a few keys, entered the code, and showed an image of Megaman; only, he was much more advanced, his blaster much more powerful, and his armour thicker, and making him somewhat taller. Everyone gasped, Megaman unable to believe that the figure on the screen was to become him of the future.

"I don't...understand..." he finally stammered, his voice hollow.

"I planned on this a few months back...but it seems, Wily stole the plans to create this reploid, Zero. I didn't tell you this because I didn't want to concern you...but this happened around the time you guys fought last...you and Bass, that is," he continued, "the battle you had to chase him down before you brought him back for repairs. You didn't know what you were retrieving for me, all I allowed you to know was, Bass stole it, and I needed it back. Unfortunately, despite your battle, and winning, Bass got it back to Wily."

Bass looked up and said sincerely in a low, soft voice, "I swear, doc Light, had I even _known_ what I was stealing for that old fool, had I known all of this was going to happen, I swear I wouldn't have done..."

"It's alright, Bass," Dr. Light interrupted, smiling kindly, "we all make mistakes, and after all, you were just doing as instructed. But the fact still remains...I didn't intend on making you into Megaman X for another few years, and it was only so I could put you on an auto reboot system so, that if anything happened to me, or just dying of old age, you would regenerate in ten years and still protect our city."

"But now," Megaman finished for him, finally understanding, "due to the fact he's already made Zero, you have no choice but to turn me into X, is that right?"

"Exactly." Everyone stood there for quite some time, until Eddy let out a series of beeps, bringing them all back down to earth. They unplugged the two helpers of Auto, whom Dr. Light had created to run a parts shop, and thanked them for their help.

"Wait," Bass said, a look of suspicion on his face, "we shouldn't let them go back to Auto on their own, Zero could attack them before they get the message back to him. Contact him and let him know they're staying here."

"That might not be such a good idea," Olera said in uncertainty, "what if our transmission is intercepted?"

"Then we'll use some old fashioned common sense," Bass replied, a wry grin on his face along with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "we'll use the phone."

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, the action was more at the beginning of that chapter..but one can't always predict one's own foreshadowing perfectly. I knew what I wanted to do, but I had to lead up to it. However, chapter 13 will have the battle people want to see, and don't worry romance buffs, we'll still see some charming scenes with Roll and Bass...who said it has to be X-rated to be worthy of it's title? ;) I also had to make closer to the real plotline...fanfiction or not, I like to keep to the facts as much as I can with something I treasure this much. LOL, I know chapter 11 was a cliffhanger, I know it's intense, but that's a factor that makes a story good, XD Thanks for all those reviews...(ok, so far on last chapter, only two...but more will be coming, I'm sure...twiddles thumbs, tumbleweed blows by lol) oh, and chapter 13 will be up in at least two weeks, if not less. Please R and R!


	13. Chapter 13: Megaman X Is Born

**Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman or Bass, or any other characters besides Olera, Quad, Silvara, Aeroman, and Delta. Please don't sue me. Other characters are property of capcom.**

Chapter 13: Megaman X Is Born

After the call to Auto, and making sure the phone line wasn't being tapped, everyone gathered into the main lab, where doctor Light began Megaman's transformation into Megaman X.

"Will this hurt, doctor?" Megaman asked as he was strapped onto the stainless steel table.

"Not a bit, Rock. However," he added, going over to a console and turning some knobs and dials, "once I'm complete with your transformation, it will take five days for you to awaken. You will not remember very much about your former self. The only things you will remember are the basics."

"Why is that?" Bass asked from the other side of the room, staring at the screens and displays surrounding him.

"Well, it's due to the fact that I intended on programming Megaman like this for after my death. The only thing I _could_ modify was when he comes out of his hibernation…but even for that, once he's completed his one mission to destroy Wily for good, he will shut down for another 10 years. If there is chaos, like I predict there will be, he will be able to stop it."

Bass jus shook his head, "That is possibly the stupidest thing I have _ever_ heard…and what makes you think there will be as much trouble then as there is now with Wily?"

"Because," Dr. Light explained, "a few years back, I had a run-in with another scientist, like Albert and myself. He had robots attacking just the same, but we never saw him after Megaman defeated them all. He could very well be alive…and planning revenge."

"Just as good a reason as any." Megaman shrugged to the best of his ability, then closed his eyes. Dr. Light began the reprogramming, then instructed everyone to leave while he changed the physical appearance of the armour.

"But why do we have to leave? Can't we watch?" Quad whined, staring hopefully at his creator.

Protoman sighed, then grabbed the stubborn robot by the arm, leading him out of the lab, the others reluctantly following.

"Kids…" Bass muttered, "they may be war machines, but they still act like they're newly activated."

Roll giggled, clutching his arm as they went down the corridor.

"So, how do you think it'll turn out?" Delta asked, opening the door that led into the "living" room.

"I bet he looks really awesome and his blaster knocks that Zero guy into next Tuesday!" Silvara enthused.

"No way, I bet he gets one of those Z-saber things and cuts him to ribbons!"

"Yeah, or he has laser shots rather than plasma!"

"Hey, there's nothing more powerful than plasma." Bass interjected.

"Yeah, right…" Aeroman rolled his eyes.

"Hey! Look, the kinda plasma I'm packing, is much stronger than what you're used to, kiddo."

"Don't call me that! And just what's so great about _your_ plasma?"

"Oh, it's only _Bassnium,_ the most powerful element on earth." Bass replied, a wry grin on his face.

Aeroman began to protest, his jaw slackening, and then clenching. Realizing his superior had won, he turned down the opposite corridor in a huff, Bass laughing.

* * *

Everyone stared in absolute awe at the figure before them. His armour was two different shades of blue, and on his helmet, he bore a red jewel. He had circular spires on the sides, and his blaster was slimmer, but much more high-tech. His shoulders had points on them, rising a little higher, an extra bit of armour in between. He had jets on his boots, his back still bearing the attachments where he and Rush fused.

"Mega…you look…awesome!" Roll finally blurted out, Bass nodding in grudging approval.

"I hate to say it, but your sister is right."

"Thanks…I think. Doctor, will I still be able to fuse with Rush?"

"For a shorter period of time, I'm afraid. I can't upgrade Rush enough to be able to handle the amount of energy you contain."

"He should still be able to fight with you no problem though, if that's the case." Protoman suggested.

"Yeah, he shoots plasma from the buster in his mouth, it should work out just fine. And besides, you'll need him for less now that you're a lot more powerful." Olera added.

"Guess so." X replied, looking slightly sullen.

"Hey…wait…didn't you say he wouldn't remember anything about his former self other than what he needed to know? He seems to remember everything." Bass protested, Treble coming up beside him to have his ears scratched.

"Hm. You're right. Oh well, I see no harm in him knowing about his life as ordinary Megaman. Who's he going to tell, right?"

"So long as he doesn't fall in the wrong hands, I suppose…" Bass trailed off.

"Well, even if I did," X declared, "do you think I'd really tell them anything they wanted to know? Come on Bass, you of all robots should know that."

Bass cocked, an eyebrow, then realizing what he meant, burst out laughing. It was true; many times he had inquired why the blue bomber was so insistent on being good, why he cared for humanity so much. Megaman answered, but in ways Bass had never been able to understand. Where as with Bass, when Megaman had asked such questions about why they couldn't be friends, had been horribly blunt in telling the blue bomber that he disliked him.

Roll and her other siblings alike were confused by this inside joke, Protoman only smiling knowingly. _So much has happened in the past couple of years,_ he thought to himself, adjusting his scarf so that it was more secure, _and not once did I ever think my little bro would be friends with that Wily bot, laughing with him. Of course, I never thought our sister would fall in love with him, either._ His grin suddenly faded when the alert sirens began, and shots began shaking the building.

It's Zero, we have to stop him!" Bass cried over the wail of the sirens, him and Protoman leading the five younger robots to their battle stations, while X brought Roll, Eddy and Beat to a safe, hidden tunnel under the lab.

"You guys wait here until someone calls for you, alirght?" He instructed, lighting a small oil lamp so they could see him. Shadows danced across his eyes, his complexion smooth, his look of concern disturbing Roll.

"You will be back, won't you, brother?" she murmured, Beat perched on her shoulder, Eddy in her arms.

"Don't worry, Roll. Everything will be fine. Just keep these two safe, okay?" with that, he left, going to the outer gate, where the fight had already began.

* * *

Bass and Zero were dancing around each other, Bass shooting and dodging Zero's saber with ease. Jumping high into the air, Bass charged up a shot, which collided with Zero's chest armour. It cracked slightly, the reploid reeling under the impact. He let out a snarl, and swooped in from the right, slashing Bass' shoulder. He cried out in pain, clutching his wounded arm, then dodging as the enraged reploid shot at him.

"Never give up, do you, old timer?" Zero scoffed, swiping at the black robot and getting nothing but air.

"The same goes for you, pretty boy!" Bass replied, doing a quick right round-house kick. The kick sent the red and silver reploid cascading into the barbed-wire fence, his arm cannon getting stuck. "Not so cocky now, are you?" Bass grinned. With that, Protoman ordered the others to open fire, all of them swooping in with their jet-packs burning up the turf. Bass whistled, and Treble jumped onto his back. He rocketed towards the trapped reploid, smashing him in the face with a low kick. Zero let out a grown, and gritted his teeth. With a final struggle, he got free, and booked it out of there, shouting over his shoulder, "You may have one this time, old timer,…but mark my words…I'll be back…and then…we'll see who's the better Wily bot."

"Sure, because that's so something to brag about…" Bass muttered, landing and letting Treble walk off after being cramped as a jet pack. _Besides, I could kick your titanium back-side anytime…_

_Author's note: Sorry this chapter isn't very long, but I've been very busy, and due to distractions, my muse was uncooperative…but odnt worry, I'm not going to abandon this fic for more than a few weeks at a time if writer's block catches hold of me again. Thanks for your support, everyone._


	14. Chapter 14: Clash of the Titans

** Chapter 14: Clash of the Titans**

**Disclaimer: Only Aeroman, Delta, Olera, Quad and Silvara belong to me. All other characters belong to Capcom.**

_Author's note: The content within this chapter is not the original chapter 14. While doing some editing, I accidentally lost the original chapter. Thus, I've had to recreate it with what little connections I could make between chapter 13 and chapter 15. I hope it is still satisfactory, as I wrote this story about five years ago, and only vaguely remember my own plotline. Thank you for your patience._

_---_

Days passed, without anyone seeing, nor hearing, from Zero. Tempers were running high, as the occupants of the Light household grew anxious.

"There have been no new attacks on the city," X remarked, looking strained, "nor has Dr. Wily issued any new threats."

"That doesn't mean all is well," Bass snapped, "I know how Wily works. He's planning something. You can be sure of that."

"But, what?" Roll asked worriedly, biting her lip.

"I say we do some reconnaissance," Protoman suggested, "maybe if we scour the city, we can find out something useful."

"It sounds like our only viable option," X conceded, "so, who will be scoping out the city, searching for Wily?"

"Well me, obviously," Bass smirked, "who knows more about Wily than I do?"

"I was under his control for a time too, remember," Protoman interjected, "so I'll go with you."

"Can we go too?" Silvara pleaded, her brothers and sisters looking eagerly up at their eldest brother hopefully.

"No, it's a _recon_ mission," Bass rolled his eyes, "you know, it's suppose to be inconspicuous? Incognito? If you guys come with us, Wily is bound to know we're looking for him."

Before the younger robots could argue, X held up a hand. "He's right," he declared, "Protoman and Bass can go alone. They're not looking for a fight. They're just going to check things out, see if we can find any useful information."

The younger robots resigned, mingled looks of fury and hurt on their faces.

"Alright, we'll be back in a little while," Bass stated, giving Roll a quick kiss, "hold down the fort while we're gone."

Roll smiled wanly, her eyes creased with worry.

"Don't fret, little sister," Protoman said, "we'll back in one piece. Or at least, _I_ will."

"That's not funny, Blues." She stuck her tongue out, glancing back at Bass.

"It's okay," Bass shrugged, "I always knew your brother was delusional. I promise _I'll_ bring him back in one piece."

Roll giggled, in spite of herself. "Good luck."

"We're going to need it." Bass muttered, and he, Treble, and Protoman warped out of the lab, leaving an awkward silence behind them.

---

"Now if I were that balding rat, where would I be hiding?" Protoman said aloud, Bass chuckling despite himself.

"We need to search for anything that could lead us to him," he stated, "anything that looks suspicious."

"You mean like that?" Protoman pointed at a group of cars, which had all seemingly crashed into one another.

"That'll do nicely." Bass silently commanded Treble to lower the thrusters, and landed. Protoman landed beside him, the two scanning the area quickly.

"Zero was here." Protoman muttered, "Look at these marks, right here." He pointed at one of the cars, a perfect cut going through the hood into the driver's side door.

"That's a cut from his saber, alright. If we can track him down, we can probably find Wily."

"He's not going to just lead us to where Wily is hiding," Protoman interjected, "what exactly are you hoping to achieve?"

"You've never heard of spying? We're not going to announce we're here, you dolt," Bass snapped, "if we find him, we're going to follow him all quiet-like…"

There bickering was interrupted by renewed screams down the street, and the sound of metal crashing into metal.

"Let's go!" And they took off, following the sounds of wreckage.

---

When they arrived, it wasn't Zero they found. "This isn't possible…" Protoman trailed off.

He and Bass stood atop a building, looking down. "Tell it to them." He retorted.

"But Rock beat all of them before," Protoman insisted, "half of them are before your time!"

They stared, fixated on the robot masters. Iceman was freezing several people in place, Slashman bearing down on a vehicle, slashing its tires. It swerved into another car, bursting into flame.

Gutsman threw a pick-up truck at a city bus, the passengers screaming in terror.

"We can't just stand here," Bass declared, "we've got to stop them."

"Not while I'm here." Came a familiar snarl. Bass and Protoman looked behind them. "Did you miss me, old man?" Zero scoffed, his saber at his side.

"What is Wily planning?" Bass demanded, charging up his cannon.

"Oh, isn't it obvious? He's replaced you," Zero laughed humourlessly, "and he's got an army of robot masters at my command."

"But the robot masters were all defeated." Protoman growled, "How can he possibly have more of them?"

"He's cloned them," Bass stated, understanding dawning on his face, "he made one copy per robot master, when I still worked for him…but I didn't know that they were operational."

"Not particularly difficult, considering he still had all of their old plans."

"But his fortress was destroyed!"

"You fools!" Zero hissed, "Did you not think he'd have back-ups? He's an evil genius!"

"Enough chit-chat, let's get it on!" Bass roared. He rushed forward, Treble's thrusters burning high. He let out a strong plasma shot, aiming for Zero's face.

The reploid glanced it off his Z-saber, smiling wickedly. "It's going to take more than that, you out-moded scrap pile!"

"We'll see about that!" Bass let off several more shots, hitting Zero in the leg and arm. The reploid winced, baring his teeth.

"Is that all you've got?" he charged at Bass, attempting to slash at the black and gold robots' chest.

Bass dodged it, swerving around Zero's back.

Protoman let off a few shots from his own cannon, hitting Zero squarely in the chest.

"Don't worry about me," Bass snapped, "go stop those clone robot masters!"

Protoman hesitated, than nodded. He charged off, and began attacking, the robot masters yelling in fury.

Bass pelted Zero with low-level shots, angering the reploid. Zero charged at him, but couldn't reach him up in the air.

"Why don't you come down and fight me like a reploid, old-timer? Oh, that's right, you can't. You're just a primitive old robot!" He jumped high in the air, his saber just missing Bass.

Bass gritted his teeth, and swooped in low. He punched Zero, catching him in the eye. "Not bad for a _primitive_ machine, huh?" He charged up his cannon, reaching maximum strength.

Zero caught him off-guard then, and knocked him down, on to the building's roof. Bass landed on his back, bouncing slightly. Treble unfused from him, snarling.

"No boy…stay…back…" Bass commanded, standing. He let the plasma shot go, hitting Zero in the chest. His armour shattered, the reploid crying out.

"You'll pay for that!" He growled, charging at Bass, his saber held high. Treble let off some shots from his mouth-cannon, the reploid reeling.

---

Down below, Protoman was cornered, five robot masters surrounding him. He stopped most of their attacks with his shield, but was overcome by a furious Freezeman copy.

He looked up toward the building where Bass and Zero were fighting, and saw that the robotic wolf-dog had just saved his master.

"Bass!" He called.

The black and gold robot looked down, Zero momentarily distracted by Treble.

"There's too many of them," Protoman called, "we've got to get out of here!"

Bass growled in exasperation, then called, "Treble, let's go!"

He fused with the wolf-dog, Zero snarling at them. "You won't get away that easily!"

But, it was too late. Bass flew off, swooping down on the robot masters who had Protoman surrounded. He shot at them, plasma raining down, shattering armour, frying circuits.

He grabbed on to Protoman's hand, and hoisted him up, supporting his weight with his shoulder.

"Thanks." Protoman mumbled.

"Don't mention it, really." Bass replied.

They left, leaving the city smouldering. _We'll come back, just as soon as we've got reinforcements._ He thought gravely_. And then, Zero will be sorry._

_---_

As they warped back into the lab, they were bombarded with questions. Bass held up a hand, silencing them instantly.

"Wily made clones of the robot masters. We don't know where he is, but the masters, and Zero, are attacking the city right now." He explained, fury in his eyes.

"He made copies? How many are there?" Dr. Light asked, dumbfounded.

"It looks like one clone per master," Bass replied, "I saw them when I still worked for him. Though, at the time, they weren't operational."

"He must have found some way to get them running, then." X declared.

"We've got to stop them!" Protoman shouted, "the whole city is up in flames! They're killing humans, and destroying everything in sight!"

"Let's go, then," X said, "this will be the last time. We're going to put an end to this, for good."

---

_Author's ending note: Well, there you have it. I really couldn't recreate the original chapter 14 (which I suspect was even better than this), but I hope this still fills in the areas between chapter 13 and 15. I apologize to any who read this story long ago, when it was first created. If I could find the original chapter, I'd gladly put it back up here. Thanks for reading. Please review._


	15. Chapter 15: A Change of Heart

**Disclaimer: I do not own Megman X, Roll, Dr. Light, Bass (though I would like to) or any other characters, excluding Aeroman, Olera, Quad, Silvara, and Delta.**

**All other characters created by Capcom.**

_Author's thanks: First off, I'd like to apologize to everyone for taking so long to update this fanfic; between moving out of my parent's house, getting engaged, and trying to make a living, I was unable to continue for quite a bit, even when I had more that I wanted to add to my plotline. The chapter I am putting up is not overly long, but it will at least instil some hope in my faithful readers that I will return, and that I will finish this fic. Again, I am sorry it took so long, I just hope that someone will still come to read my fic, after all this time._

* * *

Chapter 15: A Change of Heart

Everyone rushed out of the lab, Roll and Dr. Light staying behind in order to keep an eye on the base. Megaman X charged up his Mega Buster, Rush running at his side, firing low-level shots from the cannon in his mouth. Olera, Delta, and Quad swooped in from the right, charging up their plasma shots to full power. The robot master copies reeled from the impact of their shots, but refused to slow down.

"It looks like Wily made them slightly stronger than their predecessors," Bass remarked, no tinge of surprise in his voice, "It's a good thing you've been upgraded, Megaman." He fused with Treble, the wolf-dog ready and willing to fight with his master.

On the far side of the compound, Aeroman and Silvara had just defeated five of the copies, all of which were fashioned by robot masters who had failed against Megaman long before Bass had been created. Just as Silvara went to charge up another plasma shot, a copy of Junkman sprayed nuts and bolts at her from his ability known as junk shield. Though it wasn't a particularly powerful attack, it was quite painful, denting her armour and hitting her in the eye.

"Aero, I've been blinded!" she cried out, turning away to rub the shrapnel from her eyes. Junkman took this opportune moment to attack full force, sending his own plasma shot, fully charged, right at her.

"Silvara, behind you!" Aeroman shouted, a look of panic in his eyes. He charged up his cannon, but was rammed into by a very angry Gutsman. His shot went off-target, colliding with a few small robot subordinates, much like the bat-typed ones Shademan had in his lair.

Suddenly, a red beam shot down in front of Silvara, taking the full blast.

"Protoman!" she said in disbelief, looking at her wounded older brother. He smiled weakly, holding his arm.

"I couldn't let you guys have all the fun," he chuckled, wincing at the pain in his left arm, "besides, the sooner we get rid of these copies, the sooner the fighting ends."

He charged up a shot, hitting Junkman square in the jaw. The copy let out a low growl, charging at Protoman. Protoman was far too fast for him, however. He teleported to a safe distance, and let loose with a level 30 shot. With an outraged cry, the Junkman copy exploded, his parts firing every which way.

Bass took out four of the robot masters as quickly as he would spread peanut butter on toast, a wry grin upon his face. _No matter who's side I'm on,_ he thought to himself, a slight chuckle erupting from him as a copy of Cutman tried to kill him, the scissor blades merely bouncing off his armour, _I will always have this strange thrill for battle, and destruction. I'm tiring of this Cutman clones' game; time to end it!_ With that, he charged up his cannon, saying to his assailant in a humourous manner, "Time to say goodbye…any last requests?" He released the shot, the Cutman copy barely able to let out a cry of disbelief. Megaman X was in the midst of killing his eleventh victim, synthetic perspiration on his brow.

"You okay over there, X?" Bass called, finishing off yet another robot master look-alike.

"Yeah…I'm okay," X replied, his eyes suddenly widening, "Bass, it's Zero!"

Bass had barely enough time to turn around when a fist slammed into his jaw. He fell back, Treble unfusing from him, and jumping in front to protect his master. Bass looked up, his ruby eyes ablaze with hatred, the purple marks beneath glowing violet with rage.

"Hey old-timer," Zero scoffed, a look of absolute malice upon his face, "miss me?"

Bass jumped to his feet, his teeth gritted, his cannon charging up. "Yeah, I missed you about as much as I miss having mechanical leeches suck fluid out of me!" he retorted, blasting the reploid in the chest, his armour chipping significantly.

"That's too bad, then," Zero replied in mock disappointment, "I guess I'm going o have to cut the reunion short then, huh?" with that, he pulled out his Z-saber with such speed, Bass was caught off-guard; the blade slammed against his right shoulder, the wiring exposed.

Bass growled, Treble letting out short, angry barks. They both charged at the reploid, the robotic wolf-dog launching himself at the reploids' neck. Here he gripped so tightly, Zero could not pry his jaws open.

"Get off of me, you metal mutt!" he snarled, clawing at the beast.

"I don't think so," Bass declared, slamming a plasma shot right into the reploids' arm. Treble flew off, barely missing his master's attempt at keeping Zero from harming him. In this instant, Zero had a stunned look on his face, his eyes dimming. He let out a groan, slumping to the ground.

Bass walked cautiously over to him, Treble letting out a warning bark. "I'm sorry, Treb. I didn't mean to hit you with that," the dog kept barking, trying to warn Bass not to get any closer. "It's okay…I think he's down for now." Bass reassured, kneeling next to the reploid. Zero let out another groan, his eyes closing tight from the pain.

"Where am I? Who am I?" he asked. Bass backed away in shock. _What's going on?_ He pondered, leaning over the reploid carefully, _Why doesn't he remember who he is?_

"Um…you're name is Zero. You're a reploid created by Doctor Wil to take over the world." Bass explained.

"Why would I be created for such horrible things? Wait…I'm starting to remember…" Zero sat up, rubbing his forehead. "Yes, I was created by a Dr. Albert Wily. He stole plans from Dr. Light to create a reploid…but because Dr. Light's reploid was not intended for evil, he had to alter me somehow…"

He continued in a sort of state-like trance, his voice hollow, "He injected something he calls the Zero virus into my system to make me an evil war machine. It's…gone."

"The virus is gone?" Bass echoed, looking at the reploid wearily, as if this were all a trick.

"Yes, it's gone. I'm free of it's curse! Thank you, Bass!" Zero suddenly cried, sending the ebony and gold robot scrambling to his feet.

"Nice try," Bass remarked, his cannon poised, "I can see right through your little trick!"

"No, I swear, it isn't a trick! Please, believe me!" Zero pleaded, his eyes sincere. "I want to fight with you now, please, I want to be on your team!"

Bass stood for a moment, looking the reploid over, a look of distrust on his face. When he realized Zero was telling the truth, he softened, lowering his cannon.

"Alright, you can fight with us. Go help X," he finally decided, "since you're both reploids, you can help each other out. X's younger brothers and sisters need my help."

With that, Zero set off to fight by X's side, X sceptical at first, but seeing sincerity in Zero's eyes, allowed his company.

"Well," Bass stated to the rest of them, destroying three more masters with his cannon, "Zero is now on our side."

"What?" Olera squeaked out, barely dodging a missile shot at her by a copy of Napalm Man.

"You heard correctly." Bass said wryly, letting out a slight chuckle at the surprised looks upon their faces.

"Do I even want to know how?" Quad replied, sending a reverse roundhouse at the copy of Cloudman.

"It all depends," Bass remarked dryly, "will you still be around later to hear it?"

* * *

_Author's Notes: I know it is short, but I just wanted to bring my fanfiction back into light, and out of the abyss. If any of my original fans are still out there, awaiting to read this, I am sorry, and I promise it will be finished._


	16. Chapter 16: The Ultimate Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman X, Roll, Dr's Wily or Light, Protoman, Bass, Rush, Treble, etc. The only characters I do own are: Olera, Quad, Delta, Silvara, and Aeroman.**

**All other characters created by Capcom.**

Chapter 16: The Ultimate Sacrifice

The battle still raged on, only with Zero on their side. X had made short work of the robot master's copies, Aeroman finishing off his last opponent.

"The rest of them are retreating," Bass called over to X, "what should we do now?"

"Let's head back to the lab," X replied, firing one last warning shot, "we can plan our course of action from there."

Just as they turned around, heading towards the lab, a loud explosion was heard.

"What the hell was that!" Bass exclaimed, his vision clouded by the rising dust.

"It's a trap! Everyone, look out!" Zero roared, shoving Delta and Quad to safety.

As Bass looked up, a gasp escaped his lips. To his horror, thousands of robot master copies were headed their way, destroying everything in their path.

"No," he whispered, "it can't be!"

"I thought you said Wily didn't have the resources to make more than one copy per master?" Protoman shouted, shielding Silvara and Olera from the shrapnel that flew around them.

"I-I didn't think he could! From what I saw, he only _had_ one copy per master! He must have hidden it form me…" Bass replied, stammering in confusion.

_That crazy, old bastard! He knew I was going to rebel against him! What other reason is there?_

"Who cares about all that," Aeroman cried, "how are we going to defeat them?" His other siblings all nodded in agreement, fear in their eyes.

"I…don't know…" X trailed off, looking to Zero for answers.

"Hey, I didn't know he had all these either!" Zero said pointedly, his blonde pony-tail flowing behind him as he dodged a cannon shot.

"We've got to evacuate Doc Light, and Roll!" Bass cried. Suddenly, he heard a scream.

"No, Roll! Roll!" he yelled, dodging the attacks of the copies, searching for her. Her scream was echoing all around him, and the dust was blocking his vision.

"Roll, where are you? Roll!" Olera began to cry out, her siblings following her lead.

"Down there! The copy of Shadowman has her!" X pointed. Down at the bottom of the outer fence, Roll was crouching on the ground, the copy of Shadowman hovering over her.

"I'm going to save her!" Bass shouted, and fusing with Treble, he jettisoned down, charging up his plasma cannon to nearly full power. He shot the copy, sending it reeling form the impact. "Roll,": he cried, helping her to her feet, "are you alright?"

She sobbed, holding him closely, "They killed him…they killed Doctor Light!"

Bass gasped, disbelieving what he had heard. "No…no…" he murmured. He didn't have long to contemplate this, however. The Shadowman copy came swinging in, Roll running to a safe distance. Bass turned around just in time to catch his foe under the chin, his fist cracking against his armer.

"There's no way we can beat them!" he heard Silvara cry overhead. He looked up, seeing the five young robots being overwhelmed by the forces, X taking out what he could, Rush dodging and firing. Protoman threw down an enemy, just to be attacked by seven others. Zero was slicing the copies, some in half, some just to the wire, while simultaneously firing from his cannon.

"Oh, no! Mega! Mega! Protoman!" Roll cried, seeing her family falling before her eyes.

_I've got to do something, but what? They're all going to perish if I don't think of something…_

Bass stood to his full height, determination in his eyes.

"Bass?" Roll inquired, her eyes weary. "Bass, what are you doing?" Bass didn't say a word. Instead, he picked Roll up, and flew her out a safe distance, among quite a few ancient trees. "Stay here, you'll be safe."

"Bass? I don't understand.." Suddenly, dawning lit her eyes, tears streaming down. "No, please! Bass, please don't do this! I love you! Please, don't do this!" Roll pleaded, her sobs wracking her whole body.

"Roll, I'm sorry. I love you, too. I have to do this. If I don't," he explained softly, kissing her hair, "everyone else is going to die out there."

"What about you? Please, don't leave me!"

"Roll, I will never truly leave you. I can't allow your whole family to die. What is my one life compared to all theirs? They need you, and you need them too. Besides, X and Zero are going to be heroes in the future, just like Light said…if they die now, the future's hope is lost."

Roll wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder, begging him not to go.

"Roll, I'm so sorry. I will always love you, I swear." He unfused form Treble, patting the robo-wolf on the head. "Take care of her, okay?" he said, his eyes welling with tears.

"I will miss you, old friend." Treble whined, licking his masters' hand.

"Bass, please…" Roll held Treble close to her, petting him comfortingly. She looked into Bass' eyes, and saw the love he felt for her shining in them, along with his need to sacrifice himself for a greater cause. In that moment, though it pained her, she understood.

"I love you." She whispered, kissing him one last time. Bass leaned in full force, making their last kiss truly count.

"I love you, too. Take care of Treble for me. You will need each other."

Roll reluctantly let go of him, and watching as he ran off, leaping atop the laboratory.

"X, Zero, all of you! Get out of here, now! Go to Roll and Treble!" Bass shouted, pointing down into the woodsy area.

They looked at him, puzzled, some of them dodging the continuing onslaught. "What do you have in mind?" X asked, knowing the answer before his question was asked.

"No time! Just go!" Bass ordered. Everyone listened without question, X looking up at his former foe one last time. _Thank you, Bass. You really were a worthy adversary. Thank you for all you've done._

* * *

"I don't understand," Olera shouted over the din of blaster shots, "what is he doing?"

X smiled sadly, saying, "He's doing the one last good deed he has always sought out to do, but never knew how."

"Does that mean..?" Quad began, his eyes widening.

"Yes, it does. We can't stop him now," Protoman remarked, thinking to himself, _For all the shit you caused, you really weren't such a bad guy, Bass. Just lost…like I was once. Thanks for being there for my sister_.

Bass was in agony now; he was taking all his strength and energy, and inputting it into his chest. Every last bit of plasma energy, up to his full power, and still exceeding. _Goodbye, Roll, Treble. I love you both. Megaman…keep the world safe, in my memory._

With an outcry of pain and exhaustion, Bass released all his power, his screaming heard all around him. The robot master copies all looked bewildered, all surrounding him. With one last grunt, Bass exploded, wide rays of plasma smashing into every robot in the air, everyone all around him.

* * *

Down below, Roll and the others looked on in absolute horror and admiration; rays of purple and yellow bounced all around and above them, never touching them, but destroying the copies as quickly as bug spray kills flies. Roll wept silently, Treble's muzzle in her hand. _Thank you, Bass. I'll never forget you, or what you've done…for all of us._

_Epilogue: After Bass' sacrifice, Roll lives on with Treble by her side. After ten years, she shuts down permanently, the loyal wolf-dog, along with Rush, beside her. Megaman X and Zero go into a 20 year hibernation, awaiting the time when the new world will need them. Protoman mysteriously disappears, believed to have shut down, much like his sister. Olera, Quad, Delta, Silvara, and Aeroman, continue to help repair the damages that the last Wily bots had created. Once their mission is complete, they shut down, and are currently displayed in a robot museum, along with Roll and the robotic dogs._

_In the museums records, the story of Bass' change over, to his sacrifice, are dutifully recorded, as is all information on Megaman becoming X, and the whole war that they had fought in. One can see, that though lives are lost, their legacies will always live on._

**Author's Note: Well, I'm thankful to all who loyally stayed by as I went through the toils of finishing my fanfic. The ending is sad, but in my opinion, it was the best way for Bass to go out. It truly was, his last battle. I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, thanks for your support.**


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